Jan. 3 (UPI) — An activist who masterminded the removal of a Banksy mural from a building in the Ukrainian city of Hostomel could face up to 12 years in prison, the interior ministry said Monday.
Ukrainian authorities arrested eight individuals last month in connection with the removal. One of the activists who was arrested told the New York Times that he and the other activists intended to auction off the mural to raise money for the Ukrainian military.
“These are the stories about the support and solidarity of the entire civilized world with Ukraine. Let’s do everything to preserve the works of street art as a symbol of our future victory,” Kyiv regional military administration head, Oleksii Kuleba, said in a telegram post at the time of the arrests.
Banksy confirmed to The Art Newspaper that he created seven new art works in Ukraine. The mural that was removed portrays a woman in a gas mask carrying a fire extinguisher on the wall of a bombed residential building.
Ukrainian authorities estimate that the mural is worth $243,900.
