MOSCOW, January 16 (RAPSI, Oleg Sivozhelezov) – Russian eccentric performance artist Pyotr Pavlensky wrote on his Facebook page that he and his partner Oksana Shalygina had been accused of sexual assault against an actress from Teatr.doc theatre.

According to Pavlensky, they were arrested on December 14 and then brought to the Investigative Committee for questioning on allegations of sexual violence. They were released after the interrogation.

As Pavlensky said in an interview with the Ukrainian TV, the woman, who wrote a statement for the law enforcement agencies, was an initiator of meeting and communication with him and Shalygina. He denied the fact of sexual assault.

Investigators are conducting check upon the actress’ application.

Reportedly, Pavlensky and Shalygina have left Russia and are going to seek political asylum in France.

Pavlensky is known for a number of controversial performances.

In July 2012, he sewed up his mouth and stood at the Kazan Cathedral with a poster in support of Pussy Riot.

In May 2013, Pavlensky lay down on the ground in front of the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly naked with barbed wire around his body.

In November 2013, also naked, Pavlensky nailed his scrotum to the Red Square pavement near the Lenin Mausoleum.

In October 2014, he staged an eccentric stunt on the roof of the Serbsky Mental Institution in Moscow by cutting off one of his earlobes.

In February 2015, Pavlensky and his accomplices burned car tyres, waved Ukrainian flags and banged sheet metal with sticks in a show of solidarity with the anti-government protesters in Ukraine. The performance was held near the Church of the Savior on Blood in St. Petersburg.

In June 2016, Pavlensky was found guilty of setting fire to the Moscow headquarters of the Federal Security Service (FSB).  The Meshchansky District Court of Moscow imposed a 500,000 ruble ($7,900) fine on Pavlensky and ruled in favor of FSB, which demanded 481,000 rubles ($7,700) from the artist in a civil lawsuit.