Russian Performance Artist Who Leaked Macron Ally's Sex Tape Detained In Paris - Reports

Russian performance artist Petr Pavlensky, who claims to have been behind the release of a sex tape that forced French President Emmanuel Macron's ally to quit the Paris mayoral race, was detained in the French capital on Saturday, BFMTV reported, citing sources

PARIS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th February, 2020) Russian performance artist Petr Pavlensky, who claims to have been behind the release of a sex tape that forced French President Emmanuel Macron's ally to quit the Paris mayoral race, was detained in the French capital on Saturday, BFMTV reported, citing sources.

On Friday, Benjamin Griveaux, the candidate of the French president's party for Paris mayorship, said that he would quit the race following the online publication of a sex video and intimate messages that he allegedly shared with a young woman. Many politicians have since sided with Griveaux, calling for respect of private life and the due democratic process.

According to the French TV channel's source, the manhunt for the Russian activist artist started back on January 2 as he is suspected of "causing harm while acting as part of a gang in a dangerous way.

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The Parisien newspaper, in turn, reported that Pavlensky had been detained for participating in a brawl that occurred on New Year's eve. Police, according to the newspaper, had been searching for him since December 31. The violent brawl in question reportedly took place on New Year's eve at the home of his lawyer Juan Branco.

Pavlensky got political asylum in France in 2017. The same year, he set fire to the building of the French central bank. In January 2019, he was sentenced to a year in prison and two years of suspended sentence. Pavlensky was allowed to walk free because he had already spent 11 months in pre-trail detention by that time.