Police have detained an artist, who last fall nailed his scrotum to the cobbles of Red Square, for staging a show of solidarity with protesters in Ukraine, a news report has said.
Pyotr Pavlensky was detained Sunday for re-enacting a scene from the Kiev protests by erecting a mini-barricade of car tires and setting them ablaze in the center of St. Petersburg, head of the Agora human rights group Pavel Chikov said, Interfax reported.
During the action, entitled "Freedom," Pavlensky and two other performers waved Ukrainian flags and banged sticks against sheet metal to symbolize the fight of the Ukrainian protesters.
The performance lasted for about 15 minutes before firefighters and police arrived to put down the flames and detain Pavlensky and two other activists, a man and a woman, Piter.tv reported.
Police said they would bring petty hooliganism charges against Pavlensky, the artist's lawyer Igor Mangilyov said.
The woman has already been charged and released until trial, which is scheduled for Monday, he said.
Last November, Pavlensky nailed his scrotum to the cobbles on Red Square to protest against Russia's descent into a "police state."
Pavensky's other art-protests include lying naked in a roll of barbed wire outside the St. Petersburg legislature to protest against the "repressive legislative system," and sewing his mouth shut to express support for the Pussy Riot punk rock band.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
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 every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.