A criminal case has been opened against Banksy in the UK

London police have launched an investigation into British anonymous street artist Banksy after the appearance of his new graffiti with a judge beating a protester with a hammer on the Royal Court building. It is reported by The Daily Telegraph.

Banksy's new work is being investigated as a potential criminal offense. According to the publication, if the artist, who has remained anonymous for more than 25 years, is brought to court, he will be obliged to publicly disclose his name.

The Ministry of Justice reported that graffiti will be removed from the walls of the Royal Court building.

"The Royal Court is an architectural monument and HMCTS (Royal Service of Courts and Tribunals) is obliged to preserve its original appearance," the newspaper quoted representatives of the department as saying.

New graffiti Banksy appeared on the building of the Royal Court on Monday, September 8.

It depicts a judge hitting a protester lying on the ground with a hammer. Blood splashes are also visible in the picture. Graffiti has already been covered with plastic sheets and metal fences.

The artist confirmed the authenticity of the work on his page in the social network.

According to the BBC, the graffiti appeared two days after the arrest of 900 people at a protest against the ban of the Palestine Action organization in London.

Banksy hides his real name. According to one version, his name is Robin Gunningham. Scientists came to this conclusion after a series of studies using geo-profiling. Another version says that Banksy is one of the founders of the Massive Attack group, Robert Del Naya, reminds RBC.