Prison sentence for climate activist in Berlin After Zelensky diss: Albania’s prime minister exposes Russian diplomats

During the ongoing protests of the group Last Generation, a court in Berlin has imposed a severe sentence on a climate demonstrator. A 41-year-old from Cologne is sentenced to eight months in prison.

According to Last Generation, it is the highest punishment ever handed out to a member of the protest group for sit-ins.

The 41-year-old from North Rhine-Westphalia stated during the trial on Wednesday that she wanted to continue protesting. Therefore, the court did not see a favorable social prognosis. This would be necessary for a suspended sentence, a court spokeswoman said on Thursday. The judgment is not final. According to the spokeswoman, it is the highest penalty to date that the court has imposed on Tiergarten in connection with the actions.

The woman was found guilty of coercion, attempted coercion and resisting law enforcement officers after taking part in three roadblocks in Berlin in October 2022. The court went further than the public prosecutor’s request. She had demanded a fine of 1,350 euros (1,300 francs) in total.

So far, the climate protection group has left it unclear whether they will also protest at the Berlin Marathon this weekend. Organizers and police emphasized on Monday that they hoped everything would go smoothly. However, possible disruptions cannot be ruled out. According to its own information, the police employ 650 people.

(hah/sda/dpa)