Russian performance artist Pyotr Pavlensky has rejected a proposal by a court to drop vandalism charges against him.
Pavlensky's lawyer, Dmitry Dinze, said on April 26 that a judge offered to close a case against Pavlensky that is linked to his 2014 performance in downtown St. Peterbsburg, where he publicly burned tires and expressed support for antigovernment protesters in Ukraine.
The judge's proposal was based on the fact that the incident had taken place more than two years ago.
Pavlensky is scheduled to face a trial on April 28 for another performance.
He was arrested in November shortly after he poured gasoline on the doors of the headquarters of the Federal Security Service in Moscow and set them on fire.
Pavlensky has held a series of political protest performances that include nailing his scrotum to Red Square and cutting off part of his ear while standing atop a psychiatric clinic.
He says his performances are a way to draw attention to the indifference shown by Russian society to widespread FSB control.
Based on reporting by Mediazona and Interfax
