Art on trial – a sculptor’s arrest highlights new extremes for censorship in China
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By Gavin Butler
Originally published by BBC on April 19, 2026
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cddqpr7z74yo
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“Artists and writers have long been in the Chinese government’s crosshairs – but the authorities are now extending that reach beyond physical borders,” says Sophie Richardson, a spokesperson for the Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders advocacy group.
This is done not just through “brutal tactics” like exit bans, Richardson explains, but also by pressuring foreign art institutions to adopt political rhetoric that aligns with that of the CCP.
“It’s a global effort to limit free speech and artistic expression,” she says.
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Richardson makes a similar point, noting that China’s escalated crackdowns come amid “a worrying trend in democracies of tolerating authoritarianism”.
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