By Kommersant.ru
12.10.2015
Translated and edited by Voices of Ukraine
Photo: Petr Kassyn / Kommersant
The attorney of Actionist artist Petr Pavlensky, who was accused of vandalism for setting fire to the door of the FSB building in Lubyanka, believes that her client is in a psychiatric hospital. “I think he is in Alexeyev Psychiatric Hospital №1, which was earlier entrusted to conduct outpatient forensic psychiatric examinations,” news agency “Interfax” cited lawyer Olga Chavdar.
Ms. Chavdar noted that an earlier examination conducted by the hospital staff did not produce desired results. “An outpatient examination was conducted, the conclusion was sent to the investigator. The conclusion assumed that it was impossible to answer the questions provided by investigators and, therefore, an in-house examination was recommended,” said the lawyer.
According to the attorney, Petr Pavlensky was not transported to St. Petersburg, where he was scheduled to appear in court today because the court did not send a request for Pavlensky to be there. “The judge did not send a request. If there was a request, then they could have transferred Pavlensky,” noted Ms. Chavdar.
Yesterday it was reported that Petr Pavlensky should have been transferred from Moscow to St. Petersburg for his trial in the case of [his] burning tires to support the Ukrainian Maidan.
The FSB door on fire. Photo: Gazeta.ru
Earlier, Moscow’s Tagansky District Court extended Mr. Pavlensky’s arrest on charges of vandalism for setting fire to the door of the FSB building in Lubyanka to January 7th [2016]. During a [pre-trial] conference, the investigator explained the need to extend the arrest due to the fact that a psychiatric examination was scheduled for Mr. Pavlensky and that he had to be placed in a hospital [for that examination]. Petr Pavlensky subsequently refused to talk to a psychiatrist. Earlier, three psychiatrists recognized Mr. Pavlensky to be sane.
Photo: Ren.tv
Petr Pavlensky’s known “performances” are mostly related to self-torture. Thus, after the verdict in the Pussy Riot case, Mr. Pavlensky sewed his mouth up in protest. A few months later, he appeared at the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly completely naked and wrapped in barbed wire. In November 2013, Mr. Pavlensky, stripped naked, nailed his scrotum to the cobblestones of Red Square. In October 2014, the artist cut off his earlobe with a knife during his action in the [Russia’s] capital, after which he was hospitalized [Editor’s note: It must be stated this action took place at the psychiatric prison where Ukrainian pilot and MP Nadiya Savchenko was incarcerated, and in response to her being placed there].
The artist was arrested on the night of November 9, around 1:00 am Moscow time, near the FSB building in Lubyanka Square almost immediately after he had doused the front door with gasoline and set it on fire.
Source: Kommersant.ru
Related Reading:
National Post: Artist, who once cut off his earlobe and nailed his scrotum to Red Square…
The Guardian: Petr Pavlensky Why I nailed my scrotum to Red Square
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