Sea Watch activists fined €6,000 for scribbling slogans on Kappara bridge

Three activists from the NGO rescue ship Sea Watch on Thursday were ordered to pay €6,000 in damages to Transport Malta after having been caught red-handed spray-painting slogans on the Kappara bridge.

Daniel Tamino Bohm, 27, a student, Jelka Elena Kretzschmar, 35, a German graphic designer, and Marco Muller, a 26-year-old design engineer from Switzerland were accused of damaging public property.

They were arrested after police had been alerted that persons were spray painting graffiti on the concrete pillars of the bridge, with slogans stating 'Open the Ports' and 'Free the Ships'.

All three pleaded guilty, with Mr Muller clarifying that he had been an accomplice.

The Sea Watch vessel was blocked in harbour for most of the summer, with the authorities arguing it did not have proper documentation. It was later allowed to leave. Another NGO rescue ship, the Lifeline, was similarly blocked. Similar actions were taken in other countries. 

Magistrate Josette Demicoli warned the accused that they could have faced a maximum four-year jail term which could be increased to five years since the property in question was public.

Defence lawyer Malcolm Mifsud told the court that the accused...