A police officer placed in police custody Tuesday in Paris as part of the investigation into the presence of a photographer during the arrest of the Russian artist Piotr Pavlenski in February was released on Wednesday, a source said on Thursday close to the case.
This agent had been placed in police custody because he was suspected of having informed the photographer of the date and place of the arrest of Piotr Pavlenski, who had just claimed the broadcasting of videos of a sexual nature of Benjamin Griveaux, then candidate LREM at the town hall of Paris. The latter had finally been forced to withdraw from the municipal battle. According to this source, the investigations are continuing.
Prohibition on representing an obstructed person
The publication by Paris Match of the photos of this photographer from the agency Bestimage, directed by Michèle Marchand, had led the Paris public prosecutor's office to open a preliminary investigation on February 28 for “violation of professional secrecy”, “concealment of violation of professional secrecy "And" unauthorized dissemination of images of a hindered person ".
The photos showed Piotr Pavlenski lying on his stomach on the ground, his hands shackled by handcuffs. An obvious violation of article 35 ter of the law on freedom of the press, which prohibits photographers and journalists from representing a hampered person, under penalty of being fined 15,000 euros.
