The Art Newspaper that Diyabanza was convicted of “attempted theft”.
In a post on his Instagram page, Diyabanza says that “the state has sentenced me [and made me] pay €5,000 for tarnishing its image… in the name of ethics, any thinking person knows that these museums do not deserve respect or consideration.” At the time of writing, the Louvre could not be reached for comment.
After the incident, a Louvre spokeswoman said: “The target was a swimming sculpture (Guardian Spirit Figure) from the end of the 18th century, from the island of Flores (eastern Indonesia). The Musée du Louvre teams intervened immediately and avoided the theft and any damage to the sculpture. The police arrested the perpetrators. A complaint was immediately filed.”