Chinese artist Ai Weiwei denied entry to Switzerland due to lack of visa
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Chinese artist Ai Weiwei denied entry to Switzerland due to lack of visa
Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was barred from entering Switzerland on Monday because he was unable to produce a visa. According to an Instagram post by Ai Weiwei, he spent the night from Monday to Tuesday on a bench at Zurich airport.
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A spokesperson for the Zurich cantonal police confirmed on Tuesday morning in response to an inquiry from the Keystone-SDA news agency that Ai Weiwei did not have the necessary entry documents and was therefore unable to enter the country.
However, he was not arrested, the police spokesperson emphasised. Ai Weiwei was able to move freely in the transit area until his return to his country of origin.
Ai Weiwei, one of China’s best-known artists and political activists, commented on his stay at Zurich Airport on Instagram. “I’m sleeping on a bench with a blanket tonight, waiting to be deported at 6:50 am the next morning.”
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He also posted various film sequences and photos of his night at the airport. Among other things, various documents dated yesterday, Monday, can be seen. They show that the 67-year-old did not have a visa and that he had entered the country from London.
Ai Weiwei was imprisoned in China in 2011 and banned from traveling after making statements critical of the government. He was eventually released and left the country.
Adapted from German by DeepL/jdp
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