Griveaux affair: the president of Paris asked Branco to give up defending Pavlenki

The president of Paris asked Juan Branco to give up defending Piotr Pavlenski in the Griveaux affair, notably because of the “lack of distance” between the lawyer and the actions of his client, the bar announced in a Wednesday communicated. Me Branco had denounced this weekend an attack on the rights of the defense, explaining that the public prosecutor's office opposed his designation as a lawyer for the Russian artist, indicted Tuesday for the dissemination of videos of a sexual nature of the ex -LREM candidate for mayor of Paris, like his companion Alexandra de Taddeo.

The lawyer and essayist said he had "advised" Pavlenski on the videos behind Benjamin Griveaux's withdrawal before they were broadcast. The public prosecutor's office cannot oppose the choice of a lawyer alone, but it can, when it fears a conflict of interest, seize the president of the bar to decide the question.

During the ethics investigation announced Monday by the President of Paris, Me Olivier Cousi, "there was no identified conflict of interest [...] that could be opposed to Mr. Juan Branco", indicates the communicated. “However, the lack of distance shown by Mr. Juan Branco between his mission as a lawyer and the action alleged against his client, as well as his lack of prudence during statements in the media exposed him to a risk of failure to essential principles, notably independence and prudence, ”he adds. "Under these conditions, the president asked Mr. Juan Branco to renounce the defense of Mr. Pavlenski," he concludes.

It was finally Me Yassine Bouzrou who was appointed on Tuesday to defend the 35-year-old Russian artist.