Prominent Austrian far-right figure, Martin Sellner, was arrested for illegally entering Switzerland for a second time, amid his advocacy for the mass deportations of “illegal immigrants” in Europe. Previously backed by Elon Musk, Sellner was arrested on Saturday (October 19), the Swiss Federal Office of Police (Fedpol) exclusively confirmed to Bored Panda.

Martin Sellner, notable for being a right-wing extremist, entered Switzerland on Saturday despite being banned from the country, Swiss Info reported at the time.

The 35-year-old was stopped by the Thurgau canton police while attempting to cross the German-Swiss border.

Sellner was stopped as part of an effort to prevent dangers within the country, Fedpol spokesperson Christoph Gnägi told Bored Panda via email.

Prominent Austrian far-right figure, Martin Sellner, was arrested for illegally entering Switzerland

Image credits: Sebastian Willnow/picture alliance

Gnägi confirmed to Bored Panda that upon stopping Sellner, he was arrested shortly after 10:30 a.m. local time.

Gnägi further revealed that Fedpol had issued an entry ban against Sellner, who was consequently “arrested by intervention forces of the Thurgau cantonal police on Swiss territory in Kreuzlingen and taken to the police station for further questioning.”

“He was then escorted to the German border and left Swiss territory,” Gnägi added.

Image credits: Sebastian Willnow/picture alliance

Sellner had planned to travel to Switzerland to give a lecture at an undisclosed location for an event organized by the Swiss right-wing extremist group Junge Tat, somewhere in the canton of Zurich, Swiss Info reported.

Junge Tat is known for its actions opposing progressive causes, such as disrupting an LGBTQ+ event in Zurich in 2022, RTS reported at the time.

With roots in neo-Nazism, the group has rebranded itself as identitarian to attract more recruits, particularly among the youth, while avoiding overt ideological symbols. 

He was arrested for a second time amid advocating for the mass deportation of “illegal immigrants” in Europe

Image credits: RT DE/Rumble.com

Despite their small core membership, their public actions and growing online following have raised concerns about the rise of right-wing extremism in the country.

Junge Tat reportedly wanted to hold an event with Sellner back in March of this year but was stopped by the Aargau cantonal police. 

After Sellner posted a related video on X (formerly known as Twitter) showing the Swiss police shutting down the Junge Tat event in Aargau, he stated he had been banned from the canton for two months. Elon Musk replied, “Is this legal?”

Image credits: 20min/Céline Trachsel

The police subsequently issued Sellner a temporary ban from canton Aargau. 

“Issued entry bans are registered in the national police computerized search system,” Fedpol spokesperson Gnägi explained. “If the person in question is a citizen of a third country, a report is also made in the Schengen Information System, which results in a ban on entering the entire Schengen area.” 

He further told Bored Panda: “The relevant and authorized authorities thus have the necessary information to determine, during a personal check, whether a valid entry ban exists and can take appropriate action.”

Sellner was arrested on Saturday (October 19), the Swiss Federal Office of Police exclusively confirmed to Bored Panda

“Ist das schon die Schweiz?”

Ja, du dämlicher, rechtsextremer Nichtsnutz.

(-: pic.twitter.com/9xfqr819VU

— Dr. Christian Rother 🇺🇦 (@Chris09j) October 19, 2024

“Border checks fall under the jurisdiction of the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS), which operates at borders and border areas within its mandate. 

“FOCBS conducts checks based on risk and the situation in the context of the movement of goods and people. 

“However, this does not mean that the checks are systematic.”

He was previously backed by Elon Musk

Image credits: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Fedpol in Switzerland can issue entry bans and expulsions to foreign nationals to protect the country’s security, as outlined in the Federal Act on Foreign Nationals and Integration, according to Gnägi. 

These decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, focusing on preventing specific security threats, and can be appealed in the Federal Administrative Court.

Sellner caused a stir this year with his book Remigration – A Proposal. In it, he called for the expulsion of numerous people with foreign roots from Germany and other European countries, as per Swiss Info.

Image credits: 20min/Céline Trachsel

According to his book, Sellner has not only criminal foreigners in his sights but also “non-assimilated citizens”.

Before attempting to travel to Switzerland, Sellner gave a lecture on this topic in Neu-Ulm, Germany on Friday (October 18).

This reportedly led to a cat-and-mouse game between him and the police, who stormed the ongoing event but were unable to find Sellner on site.

The 35-year-old was stopped by the Thurgau canton police while attempting to cross the German-Swiss border

Heute Abend: “Die baden-württembergische Polizei hat in Amtshilfe für Bayern irgendeine private Versammlung in Neu-Ulm gesprengt, weil ein Typ behauptet hat, dass Martin Sellner dort anwesend wäre.”

Exklusiv: Ich habe soeben Mitteilung darüber bekommen, dass sich… pic.twitter.com/6rl9sq374M

— Markus Haintz (@Haintz_MediaLaw) October 18, 2024

According to his statement, he left the venue shortly before police arrived and returned later, Swiss Info reported.

Sellner is infamous for being the founder of the controversial Identitarian Movement and for receiving donations from—and communicating with—the Christchurch terrorist before the 2019 attack.

Back in March, his X account was restored, with X owner Elon Musk showcasing support for him, The Guardian reported at the time.

Image credits: Martin_Sellner

Sellner, who preaches the superiority of European ethnic groups, was banned from X in 2020 under the former Twitter management, along with dozens of other accounts linked to the movement amid criticism over the platform’s handling of extremist content, as per the British newspaper.

Nevertheless, Sellner went on to praise Musk for restoring his X account, stating: “I’m happy and grateful to be back on Twitter/X. 

“I would especially like to thank Musk for making this platform more open again. Hope the trend continues and everyone else who has been banned comes back.”

“There’s absolutely no room for this man in Switzerland,” a reader commented

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