David Gray / Reuters

Dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei waits outside the entrance of the Chaoyang District Court before attempting to attend his appeal verdict hearing in Beijing on September 27, 2012.

Reuters reports — A Chinese court upheld a $2.4 million tax evasion fine against China's most famous dissident Ai Weiwei on Thursday, ending his long legal battle with the authorities but paving the way for him to be jailed if he does not pay. 

An angry Ai, who was allowed to attend court in person for the first time and without an obvious police presence, said he scolded the judge for being a "shame and a disgrace".

"It (the court) didn't respect the facts or give us a chance to defend ourselves; it has no regard for taxpayers' rights," he told reporters. Read the full story.

See more images of Ai Weiwei on PhotoBlog and in the slideshow below.

Slideshow: The artist strikes a nerve

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Petar Kujundzic / Reuters

Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei reacts as he and journalists listen to the verdict of his court hearing over his phone on speaker at the courtyard of his studio in Beijing, July 20, 2012.

Reuters reports: A Chinese court on Friday upheld a $2 million fine for tax evasion against the country's most famous dissident, Ai Weiwei, after barring him from attending the hearing, in a case that critics accuse Beijing of using to muzzle the outspoken artist.

Ai had asked a Beijing court to overturn the city tax office's rejection of his appeal against the tax evasion penalty imposed on the company he works for, Beijing Fake Cultural Development Ltd., which produces his art and designs.  The artist said that Chinese police barred him from showing up in person, saying earlier he had "absolutely no hope" the court would rule in his favor. Continue reading the full story.

Slideshow: The artist strikes a nerve

Sharron Lovell / Polaris

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David Gray / Reuters

A security camera afixed to a light pole looks into the studio of dissident artist Ai Weiwei in Beijing on Jan. 17, 2012.

Reuters reports from BEIJING:

Activist artist Ai Weiwei, whose 81-day detention last year sparked an international outcry, said he was interrogated by police for five hours on Sunday for throwing stones at and making a rude gesture to surveillance cameras outside his home.

Ai said the stones did not hit the 10 cameras outside his house and he did not think he would face charges.

"They said to me: 'This is a warning because you have to behave'," Ai said. "I said: 'I'll behave. I take your warning seriously. But I'm human, I have to show my attitude. It's just a gesture. You're so powerful, how can I destroy you?'"

Meanwhile, veteran Chinese dissident Zhu Yufu has been indicted on subversion charges for writing a poem urging people to gather to defend their freedoms, his lawyer said on Tuesday. Read the full report.

Slideshow: The artist strikes a nerve

Sharron Lovell / Polaris

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Andy Wong / AP

Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei shows his tax guarantee slips as he leaves the the Beijing Local Taxation Bureau on Wednesday.

AP reports:

BEIJING — Outspoken Chinese artist Ai Weiwei says he feels like he has paid a ransom, after depositing $1.3 million into a government account in a bid to contest tax authorities' claim his company owes $2.4 million.

He deposited the guarantee late Tuesday so that he could challenge the bill levied against his company. They now have 60 days to submit an appeal against the tax assessment — which Ai's supporters have called an attempt to silence a high-profile government critic. Read the full story here.

• Related stories about Ai Weiwei in PhotoBlog
• See a slideshow of Ai Weiwei's sunflower seed installation at Tate Modern in London.

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Ng Han Guan / AP

A man waits to contribute his money at the home of dissident artist Ai Weiwei in Beijing, China, on Nov. 7.

The AP reports from BEIJING:

Thousands of people have sent more than $800,000 to Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei, some tossing cash folded into airplanes over his gate, to help him pay a tax bill they see as government harassment, he said Monday.

A state-run newspaper criticized the outpouring and warned it could be illegal.

Ng Han Guan / AP

A woman logs onto a computer information from bundles of remittance receipts sent to the home of Ai Weiwei in Beijing on Nov. 7.

The donation campaign — also in the form of wire transfers and cash stuffed in envelopes or wrapped around fruit that is thrown into his yard — is rare for Chinese dissidents because of the threat of retaliation that comes with supporting high-profile government critics.

Nearly 20,000 people have sent more than 5.3 million yuan ($840,000) since he announced a week ago that the Beijing tax bureau was demanding that he pay 15 million yuan ($2.4 million) in back taxes and fines, Ai said. Continue reading.

Ng Han Guan / AP

Commemorative ceramic seeds from Ai Weiwei's "Sunflower Seeds" art installation are prepared in packets to send to people who contribute money to him, in Beijing on Nov. 7.

Read more in this story by msnbc.com's Miranda Leitsinger.

See a slideshow of Ai Weiwei's sunflower seed installation at Tate Modern in London.