New development in the defense of Pavlenski. The lawyer Juan Branco announced Thursday during a press point to have resumed the defense of the Russian activist Piotr Pavlenski, within the framework of the investigation on the diffusion of videos with sexual character targeting Benjamin Griveaux. He will carry out this task alongside Yassine Bouzrou, who was already assisting the activist.
I become again the lawyer of Piotr Pavlenski and I ask for a psychiatric expertise from Benjamin Griveaux.
- Juan Branco, Dr. ✊️ 布蘭柯 (@anatolium) March 5, 2020The lawyer and activist close to the extreme left movements explained that he will deal with the “political and cultural” aspect and Me Bouzrou of the strictly judicial file, according to L'Express. In the process, he also asked for "psychiatric expertise" from Benjamin Griveaux.
Juan Branco thus decided to go against the recommendations of the Bâtonnier of Paris, who had mentioned “the absence of distance” between the lawyer and the actions of his client. The militant lawyer had then agreed to withdraw from the defense of the Russian activist at first. Before changing my mind this Thursday, therefore.
The name of the lawyer had indeed appeared in the file concerning Piotr Pavlenski. The political refugee is suspected of having injured two people during the New Year's Eve on December 31. An evening he had spent in a Parisian apartment in the company ... of Branco himself.
As a reminder, Alexandra de Taddeo who received the videos of Benjamin Griveaux, and her companion Piotr Pavlenski were indicted and placed under judicial control on February 18. The young woman must be the subject of a psychological expertise ordered by the justice.