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Top Chinese artist denied entry at Zurich airport

Wednesday, 12 February 2025 06:30

Ai Weiwei (c) www.guggenheim.org

China’s best known modern artists and frequent critic of Beijing, Ai Weiwei, was denied entry into Switzerland on Monday and had to return to London.

The artist posted about his ordeal on social media. 

Zurich cantonal police denied his entry at the airport as he didn’t have the right travel papers to enter the Schengen zone – despite the fact he’s lived in Portugal since 2019, which is in Schengen.

Ai Weiwei designed the famous Birds’ Nest stadium and was jailed for 80 days in China in 2011 for criticising the government. 

Zurich police say he stayed within the transit zone at the airport and was never arrested.

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