Moscow Court Rules to Keep Pavlensky in Custody Until March

By The Moscow Times

Feb. 2, 2016

Pyotr Pavlensky listens during a hearing at a Russian courthouse. Maxim Zmeyev / Reuters

Russian performance artist Pyotr Pavlensky, accused of setting fire to the main entrance of the Federal Security Service's headquarters, will remain in custody until March, the RIA Novosti news agency reported Tuesday.

The City Court has rejected the appeal of Pavlensky's lawyer Olga Dinz, who asked that he be released on bail or placed under house arrest, RIA Novosti reported.

Pavlensky himself did not participate in the court session as he is currently undergoing assessment of competency to stand trial at the Serbsky State Scientific Center for Social and Forensic Psychiatry.

Pavlensky was arrested and charged with vandalism after he poured petrol and set fire to the main entrance of FSB's main office on Moscow's Lubyanskaya Ploshchad on Nov. 9, 2015.

According to the artist, the action ?€” titled ?€?Threat.The Burning Doors of Lubyanka?€? ?€” was a protest against repressive government policies.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue