Paris (AFP)

The President of Paris asked Juan Branco to give up defending Piotr Pavlenski in the Griveaux case, notably because of the "lack of distance" between the lawyer and the actions of his

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" Mr. Pavlenski on the videos behind Mr. Griveaux's withdrawal before they were broadcast.

Procedurally, the prosecution cannot alone oppose the choice of a lawyer but it can, when it fears a conflict of interest, seize the president of the bar so that it decides 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, in particular of independence and prudence, "he adds.

"Under these conditions, the chairman asked Mr. Juan Branco to give up the defense of Mr. Pavlenski," he concluded.

In a reaction sent to AFP, Mr. Juan Branco explained that "it was in full agreement with the president of the bar that he (he) decided, after having asked him, to (withdraw)".

"I note that the only ambiguity that I could be accused of consists in the use, during a declaration to a yellow vest media, of the + on +, indefinite pronoun systematically used in oral argument, in order to protect my client", explains Juan Branco.

"If confusion can be made in the minds of the public (...), the president of the bar cannot ignore that this practice is not only normal but also encouraged so as not to give the impression that one would distance oneself from the customer, "he adds.

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

© 2020 AFP