The Vatican court sentenced in the first instance three Last Generation activists who in August had glued themselves to the marble base of the famous statue of Laocoon, in the Vatican Museums: it is the first sentence for the environmental group, known for having carried out various demonstration acts similar in recent months, with the aim of bringing the issue of climate change to collective attention.
Guido Viero and Ester Goffi were sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment, to pay a fine of 1,500 euros each for the crime of aggravated damage, and to a further fine of 120 euros for resisting the order of Vatican gendarmerie agents to follow them in offices. A third activist, Laura Zorzini, who had filmed the scene with a telephone, was only sentenced to pay the 120 euro fine. The sentence for all three was suspended on conditional basis, but they will still have to pay a total compensation of 28,148 euros in damages to the Governorate of Vatican City.
The defense lawyers of the three activists had rejected the accusations of damage, arguing that their clients had only smeared the statue, moreover only in the part of the base. They have already announced that they will appeal.
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