> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://hyperallergic.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Ai Weiwei Blocked From Court, His Legal Consultant Goes Temporarily Missing - URL: https://hyperallergic.com/ai-weiwei-blocked-from-court-liu-xiaoyuan-goes-missing/ - Published: 2012-06-20T18:07:03.000Z - Updated: 2025-11-24T16:46:00.000Z - Description: Today, Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was harassed by police in an attempt to block him from attending his scheduled court appearance at the Beijing tax bureau. - Author: Emily Colucci - Tags: News, Ai Weiwei, #wp, #wp-post, #image-position-hidden, #Import 2025-11-24 06:51 (2012, 2013, part 1) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2012/06/avzulwhcmaamoa9.jpg) Ai Weiwei's cameraman showing his injuries from Chinese police outside the artist's Beijing studio (via twitter.com/aiww) Today, Chinese artist [Ai Weiwei](http://aiweiwei.com/?ref=hyperallergic.com) was harassed by police in an attempt to block him from attending his scheduled court appearance on Wednesday at the Beijing tax bureau. The same night according to Ai Weiwei’s [Twitter](https://twitter.com/jenwyng/status/215248752032743424?ref=hyperallergic.com) account, Ai Weiwei’s private legal consultant Liu Xiaoyuan was asked to meet Secret Police at 8:30 pm Beijing time and temporarily “disappeared,” according to the artist, who told [CNN](http://edition.cnn.com/2012/06/20/world/asia/china-ai-weiwei/index.html?hpt=hp%5Ft3&ref=hyperallergic.com): > I’ve no idea what’s happening to him now, neither do I know why. I don’t think we can expect to hear from him any time soon. The police intimidation and kidnapping of his lawyer comes as just another addition to the artist’s long list of battles with Chinese authorities. [Detained](http://hyperallergic.com/22035/ai-weiwei-arrested/) for 81 days in April of last year and ordered to pay 15 m yuan (roughly US$2.3 m) for tax charges against his company, Fake Cultural Development Ltd.Weiwei and his supporters maintain that the tax evasion charges are an attempt to silence the outspoken artist who has been critical of the Chinese government’s policies. Reported on various news sources from the [*Wall Street Journal* ](http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2012/06/20/ai-weiwei-says-he-has-been-banned-from-court/?ref=hyperallergic.com)to [Reuters](http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/20/us-china-dissident-lawsuit-idUSBRE85J05V20120620?ref=hyperallergic.com), at least 40 police cars surrounded Weiwei’s studio and repeatedly called him, telling him to not attend the court hearing. Weiwei told the *Wall Street Journal*: > “The police tried to persuade me, but I told them that wouldn’t work. So they gave me clear order. They said even if you try, you can’t make it there. Not just intimidating Weiwei, the Chinese police injured his assistant when he began to take photographs of the police located outside Weiwei’s studio. Earlier today, Ai Weiwei tweeted photographs, documenting his assistant’s injuries. Weiwei’s scheduled court hearing was for his company’s lawsuit challenging the allegations that he owes back taxes. His wife Lu Qing went to court in his place. Reporting via Twitter, several [reporters](https://twitter.com/?ref=hyperallergic.com#!/MBarriaux) and Weiwei [supporters](https://twitter.com/?ref=hyperallergic.com#!/jenwyng) and friends have described the heavy security restrictions around the Chaoyang Court where the hearing is being held. China BBC producer Becky Lipscombe [tweeted](https://twitter.com/BjingBeckster/status/215361017599897601?ref=hyperallergic.com) that the Chinese police would not allow her or her cameramen to even walk past the courthouse. Another close contact of Ai Weiwei [tweeted](https://twitter.com/jenwyng/status/215333702773907456?ref=hyperallergic.com) two foreign reporters were taken away from the courthouse by police. A few hours ago, Liu Xiaoyuan called Ai Weiwei’s studio, according to tweets by the artist. Jennifer Ng has translated a number of the artist’s tweets from Mandarin into English: > TT [@aiww](https://twitter.com/aiww?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=hyperallergic.com): Received call from Liu Xiaoyuan, requesting Fake Company staff to retrieve his belongings and (1/3) > > — Jennifer Ng (@jenniferwyng) [June 20, 2012](https://twitter.com/jenniferwyng/status/215452474931298305?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=hyperallergic.com) > TT [@aiww](https://twitter.com/aiww?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=hyperallergic.com) bringing them to public toilet beside Caochangdi's bus stop. State security asked him to leave Beijing by tomorrow morning (2/3) > > — Jennifer Ng (@jenniferwyng) [June 20, 2012](https://twitter.com/jenniferwyng/status/215452545919877120?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=hyperallergic.com) > TT [@aiww](https://twitter.com/aiww?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=hyperallergic.com) and to have no meetings with Ai Weiwei before departure. He sounds conflicted. (3/3) > > — Jennifer Ng (@jenniferwyng) [June 20, 2012](https://twitter.com/jenniferwyng/status/215452598835220481?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=hyperallergic.com) > TT [@aiww](https://twitter.com/aiww?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=hyperallergic.com) Liu Xiaoyuan stressed time and again that only one person should deliver his belongings. > > — Jennifer Ng (@jenniferwyng) [June 20, 2012](https://twitter.com/jenniferwyng/status/215452866029162497?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=hyperallergic.com) According to a recent [tweet](https://twitter.com/aiww/status/215463342951759874?ref=hyperallergic.com) by Weiwei, the trial has ended and Lu Qing and her lawyers are home. The outcome of the hearing has not been announced.