- Russian couple climbed Empire State Building, displayed peace message, and got engaged
- They faced criminal charges and a possible deportation from the US
- A plea deal was withdrawn by Manhattan prosecutors before the hearing
A Russian couple who went viral for climbing to the very top of New York City's Empire State Building, before apparently getting engaged, might get deported from the US. Angela Nikolau, 33, and Ivan Kuznetsov, 32, scaled the skyscraper in July and displayed a flag bearing the message "when the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace". Kuznetsov then proposed to Nikolau immediately.
Ivan and Angela, originally from Moscow, Russia, were in the process of hashing out a deal with the prosecutors, according to a report in Fox News. However, the deal was tanked following an email from the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.
The couple appeared in the criminal courthouse in New York on Thursday (Nov 12) for the hearing, where Nikolau could be seen tearing up as the threat of deportation loomed large.
"We didn't damage any property. We didn't intend to put anyone in danger. We just wanted to send a message of love, and we're ready to defend ourselves," said Kuznetsov, addressing the media.
"We wanted to share a message of peace. With so much pain in the world today, we wanted to create a performance to stay in the people's hearts," Nikolau added.
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Noam Biale, the couple's attorney, revealed that his team had accepted an offer from prosecutors to plead guilty to misdemeanour charges. in exchange, they would have been shielded from what he called "catastrophic immigration consequences". The deal, however, was taken off the table the night before the hearing.
"If sent back to Russia, Mr Kuznetsov will almost certainly be sent to fight in the war in Ukraine and Ms Nikolau may be jailed for her artistic expression," Biale said.
The couple's relationship and extreme-climbing hobby are the subject of the 2024 Netflix documentary "Skywalkers: A Love Story," which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2024.
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