The court imposed conditions on the foreign nationals for spraying graffiti on the Charles Bridge

Prague - The District Court for Prague 1 today sentenced two German tourists to one-year conditional sentences and monetary fines of 100,000 crowns for spray painting the Charles Bridge. The brothers Niclas Steiger and Benjamin Wittig were also expelled from the Czech Republic for five years. The younger of the two men, 23-year-old Steiger, confessed to the act, while the other denies the guilt. The decision is not final; both the foreigners and the state prosecutor have reserved the right to appeal.

"The defendants are clearly incriminated by witness testimonies," stated Judge Pavla Hájková. According to her, the man and woman who described the incident in court had no reason to lie. Both testified that the graffiti on the bridge's pillar was sprayed by both brothers. The 30-year-old Wittig could be denying the charges due to the likelihood of losing his civilian job in the German army following a guilty verdict, according to the judge.

The court had already imposed the same penalties on the foreigners through a summary order, but the men later filed an objection against it. Wittig claims that the graffiti measuring five by two meters was only sprayed by his brother on the bridge's pillar. Steiger confirmed his assertion. However, he stated that he did not know on which significant monument he placed the graffiti. "I am very sorry; I will never do anything like this again," he stated.

However, according to Hájková, his argument did not hold up in court. The judge indicated that the fact that the foreigners sprayed one of the most significant monuments in the Czech Republic played a significant role in determining the sentence.

"I evaluate the judgment positively from the perspective of the public prosecutor," said state prosecutor Jan Lelek to journalists after the hearing. He himself proposed the sentence that was pronounced in court today. He considers the one-year conditional sentences with a three-year probation period and monetary fines to be commensurate with the historical and cultural value of the Charles Bridge.

The brothers and their legal representative did not want to comment on the decision. In his closing statement, the lawyer mentioned that Steiger is prepared to accept such a sentence. However, he stated that he does not consider expulsion to be necessary. "He was here in a detention cell. After this experience, it is pointless to deport him, because he will certainly never come to the Czech Republic again," he declared. The lawyer considers the witness testimonies about Wittig's guilt to be unconvincing, as there were significant discrepancies in them, according to him.

The inscription appeared on the bridge pillar in mid-July. Conservators began to remove it on July 27 and planned for the work to last until mid-August. According to the contract, they were to receive 40,000 crowns for it. However, the graffiti unexpectedly disappeared overnight on July 28. Miroslav Černý later came forward to claim responsibility for the removal. He stated that he removed the inscription in about two hours using high-pressure steam. Laboratory results showed that the bridge's masonry was not damaged by the unexpected action.

While acknowledging in her ruling that spray painting the bridge caused damage to the City of Prague, the judge left it to the municipality to seek compensation through civil proceedings due to the method of inscription removal.