Climate activist skips court date – cruise trial against Maddie suspect postponed – due to doubts about lay judge

The electrical engineer Hendrik Fauer, activist with the German climate organization ‘Last Generation’, is no stranger to court. Last year, the 54-year-old from Stockelsdorf was sentenced to a fine for staying on the streets in Flensburg.

Fauer was also summoned to court on Thursday for a climate action. The charge: trespass. He and other activists disrupted the meeting of representatives in Hanover. According to the indictment, they smeared walls and floors with spray chalk and caused damage worth approximately 9,500 euros.

But ‘Bild’ reports an ironic turn of events: instead of appearing in the Hannover court, climate activist Fauer traveled to Norway on a cruise ship. This is how the journey went in a three-star cabin on the “MS Color Fantasy” from Kiel to Oslo. Fauer, known as an expert in the field of offshore wind turbines, justified his absence in a letter to the judge by saying that the trip had been planned for a long time.

Judge Monika Pinski responded to Fauer’s absence by saying, “We’re all in this together.” His colleagues, two students and a psychologist, sat silently in the courtroom, reports ‘Bild’.

Judge orders ‘Last Generation’ to clean up the damage

The activists could not ignore his punishment for violation: Pinski sentenced them to a fine that will benefit the environmental organization BUND. The subdistrict court judge also proposed an unusual compromise: the group must clean the hall in the regional center and in return they can write a letter to the MPs.

Regional president Steffen Krach (SPD) emphasized in court that they wanted to send a signal with the criminal complaint to prevent such actions in the future. However, Hannover’s mayor, Belit Onay (Greens), reached an agreement with the activists shortly after the protest and largely supported their demands.

Cruise travel and environmental protection?

Fauer’s trip during a court hearing is likely another case that is not good for the “Last Generation” in terms of advertising: last year, two activists caused a stir by skipping a court date to vacation in Bali. This led to a debate in the media about the credibility of the climate movement.

According to its operator, the Color Line, the “MS Color Fantasy” is the second largest cruise ferry in the world and can accommodate up to 2,605 passengers in 966 cabins and 750 cars. It is powered by four diesel engines with a total power of 42,400 hp. She has 15 decks with various facilities such as restaurants, bars, shops, spa, theater and casino.

After all, the “MS Color Fantasy” is said to be one of the most modern and therefore most environmentally friendly ferries in the world. The journey from Kiel to Oslo takes about 20 hours and leaves a significantly smaller ecological footprint per person than a short-haul flight.

According to a report in the “Hannoversche Allgemeine,” Judge Pinski summarized during the hearing: The “Last Generation” method did not help the case. “The basic problem is not solved by just wiping – I can’t solve that here either.” She gave up her car in the city years ago and has been walking or taking the train ever since.

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