Two Belgian climate activists who targeted the world-famous painting ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’ have been sentenced to prison. They have been handed two-month jail sentence out of which one month is suspended.
Climate activists in a number of countries have targeted well-known, timeless works of art in order to draw attention to climate issues.
In the case of ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring,’ one activist glued his head to the painting’s glass covering at a museum in The Hague. According to the gallery, the artwork was not damaged.
‘An artwork hanging there for all of us to enjoy has been smeared by defendants who felt their message took precedence over everything else,’ the prosecutor said.
The public prosecutor had requested four months in prison, with two suspended, but the judge stated that she did not want her sentence to discourage other people from protesting.
The two men were charged with vandalism and open violence against the painting. A third activist, who objected to the trial being expedited, will appear in court on Friday.
All three are members of the Belgian climate group Just Stop Oil, which is not affiliated with Just Stop Oil in the United Kingdom. According to Just Stop Oil Belgium, the decision was ‘ironic.’
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