Beijing , China ( CNN ) -- Dissident artist Ai Weiwei will not be allowed to publicly appeal a multimillion-dollar tax penalty the Chinese government says he owes , he said Thursday . Ai told CNN by phone that Chinese tax authorities sent him a note March 27 telling him he will not be given a public trial but a `` written hearing . '' They sent him another note Thursday saying he must pay the 15 million yuan ( $ 2.4 million ) in back taxes he was already ordered to pay , and that he can make no further appeals . Ai , who was found guilty of tax evasion last year , said he plans to sue the tax authorities . Chinese authorities detained Ai for 81 days last year and later ordered him to pay the 15 million yuan in back taxes they said he owed through his company , Fake Cultural Development Ltd. Ai paid 8.45 million yuan ( $ 1.3 million ) late last year so he could contest the charges . Had he not paid the sum , he said at the time , his wife would have been jailed . Ai 's family and human rights advocates have said they believe the Chinese government is targeting him for his criticism of the regime . An internationally renowned artist , Ai 's works -- often with political undercurrents -- command hundreds of thousands of dollars . His 2010 installation at the Tate Modern in London involved 100 million porcelain sunflower seeds , each one hand-painted by specialists in China , spread on the floor of the museum 's large entrance hall . Ai helped design Beijing 's iconic Bird 's Nest stadium for the 2008 Olympics , though he later spoke against the Games . CNN 's Judy Kwon contributed to this report .
Ai Weiwei says he will only get a `` written hearing '' China says he owes $ 2.4 million in back taxes . Score: 6 Ai is an internationally renowned artist .