Pyotr Pavlensky

A court jailed an exiled Russian artist Thursday for setting fire to the facade of a French central bank building, a performance that was filmed and circulated on social media.

Russian artist Pyotr Pavlensky, who once memorably nailed his scrotum to Red Square to denounce state power, has won political asylum in France, his lawyer told AFP on Thursday.

Russia today ruled radical performance artist Pyotr Pavlensky must stay in pre-trial detention until January after he set fire to the door of the feared security service's headquarters.

A court jailed an exiled Russian artist Thursday for setting fire to the facade of a French central bank building, a performance that was filmed and circulated on social media.

Russian artist Pyotr Pavlensky, who once memorably nailed his scrotum to Red Square to denounce state power, has won political asylum in France, his lawyer told AFP on Thursday.

Russia today ruled radical performance artist Pyotr Pavlensky must stay in pre-trial detention until January after he set fire to the door of the feared security service's headquarters.