Environmental activists Guido Viero (61), and Ester Goffi (26) have been found guilty of vandalism for attaching themselves to a statue located within the Vatican Museums. Vatican judges have sentenced the two activists to nine months in prison and also imposed a fine of 1,500 euros, along with a suspended sentence of five years. The incident occurred last summer when Viero and Goffi used glue to attach themselves to the statue “Laocoön and His Sons” in the renowned Vatican Museums. Another activist, Laura Zorzini, filmed the act using her phone and has been ordered to pay a fine of 120 euros. The activists involved in the incident are affiliated with the environmentalist group Ultima Generazione, which translates to “Last Generation” in English.
Religion News Service reports:
VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Two environmental activists have been found guilty of vandalism for gluing themselves to a statue in the Vatican Museums. In the conclusion of the much-talked-about trial on Monday (June 12), Vatican judges sentenced the activists to nine months in prison and charged them a 1,500 euro fine with a suspended sentence of five years.
Guido Viero, 61, and Ester Goffi, 26, glued themselves to the statue of “Laocoön and His Sons,”in the famed Vatican Museums last summer. A third activist, Laura Zorzini, filmed the other two in action with her phone. Zorzini was sentenced to pay a 120 euro fine.
Vatican City only has three prison cells, and its courts rarely sentence individuals to jail.
The activists belong to the environmentalist group Ultima Generazione, “Last Generation,” which has become famous in Italy in recent years for drawing attention to the climate crisis through acts of vandalism targeting the country’s famed historical sites.
“Nine months of jail for one gram of glue,” Ultima Generazione commented on Twitter. “An exaggerated sentence, which doesn’t want to recognize the drama of the situation that pushed to protest.”
The activists will also have to pay a 120 euro fine for trespassing. Viero and Goffi will have to compensate the Vatican City State for the damage done to the statue for a total of 28,148 euros.
The judges decided the offense will not be added to the Vatican’s criminal records unless the eco-activists transgress again.
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