After a six-week hiatus, Ai Weiwei is allowed to see his wife by Marina Watson Peláez | May 16, 2011 | + Tweet Getty Images / Peter Macdiarmid Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was finally allowed to see his wife after six weeks of isolation from his family at a secret location on Sunday afternoon. He was detained at Beijing's international airport on April 3rd on alleged "official crimes," although many close to him believe he was arrested for criticizing the regime’s lack of freedom. China has faced global criticism due to its harsh crackdown on bloggers, lawyers, and artists, and Ai has gained particular prominence perhaps thanks to his highly celebrated sunflower seed exhibition at Tate Modern in London (List: Top 10 Persecuted Artists). Those familiar with Chinese politics had reason to believe he was tortured, especially after rumors surfaced that he was shown a video of police using an electric baton to force another system critic, Gao Zhisbeng, to "confess." The meeting with his wife was a significant relief to his mother, Gao Ying, who said the rumors were "too much" and summed up her feelings with the well-known phrase, "seeing is believing." Sitting across a table from her husband with officials watching closely, Lu Qing could do nothing but read behind Ai Weiwei's emotions. Lu was warned not to talk about anything other than family or health. During their 20-minute meeting, Lu could tell Ai Weiwei was unwell. "He seemed restrained MBT Tabia Women Shoes, his face was tense. I could see redness in his eyes. It was clear that without the freedom to express himself, he wasn't behaving naturally even with me, someone from his own family," she told AP. His mother noted, however, that he was informed to wear his own clothes instead of the prison uniform.Despite the meeting, we still don’t know what charges Ai faces. According to Chinese criminal law, he should have been released after 37 days of detention. But perhaps their meeting was a sign that widespread support does not go unnoticed. Recently, artists like sculptor Anish Kapoor and novelist Salman Rushdie have urged governments to protest his arrest.Ai's family and friends certainly have no intention of giving up. "Now that we've seen he is okay, we are naturally a little less worried, but it's not to say that we wish for him to stay where he is," Ai's mother said. "We really hope this case will be handled as quickly as possible and for the government to follow correct procedures in accordance with Chinese law." (Photos: Beijing's public transit system) All hype hearsay stops when a 21-week-old baby survives heatstroke, 5 strange things people steal while the economy is...