Russian performance artist Pyotr Pavlensky declared sane after psychiatric assessment

Russian art activist Pyotr Pavlensky has been declared sane following an assessment at a psychiatric hospital.

The examination took place at the Serbsky State Scientific Centre for Social and Forensic Psychiatry, where Pavlensky was transferred in January and remained for three weeks.

Although the results have not officially been announced, the information comes from a source close to the Centre.

Pavlensky set fire to the entrance of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) on 9 November 2015 in an artistic action against the organisation. The criminal charges against him have been changed from “vandalism” to “damaging a cultural heritage site”. The new charge carries a much weightier possible sentence of up to six years in prison, compared to three years for vandalism.

Known for his violent artistic actions, in 2012 Pavlensky sewed his mouth shut in protest against the detention of Russian punk group Pussy Riot, while in November 2013 he nailed his scrotum to the ground on Red Square.

Source: RIA Novosti (in Russian)