In . – 02/01/2023 19:51 (act. 02/01/2023 19:52)
The wall in Ukrainian Hostomel. ©Portal/Valentyn Ogirenko
The Prosecutor General’s Office in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv has started proceedings against the thief of a Banksy mural. He had cropped a photo of the artist from a wall in Hostomel with accomplices in December. The procedure is aimed exclusively at the man for burglary under martial law, the official said.
He now faces up to twelve years in prison. “Aware of the value of the work, he planned to sell the graffiti and dispose of the money received at his discretion,” the Attorney General’s Office said on Monday. “For that, he brought men who were unaware of his intentions, who he assured had all the necessary licenses to dismantle the mural”.
Confiscated image of Banksy
At the time, residents noticed how a photo of a woman in a bathrobe with curlers, a gas mask and a fire extinguisher was cut out of the wall and they called the police. The image was confiscated, the Ministry of Culture wants to decide on the future fate of the work.
Banksy identity unknown
Banksy’s identity is unknown. In November it became known that the artist left several works in the Kyiv suburbs affected by the Russian war of aggression and in the Ukrainian capital itself. Russia invaded Ukraine at the end of February.