Russia upholds artist's detention over torching of security service HQ

A Russian court on Thursday ruled against releasing radical artist Pyotr Pavlensky from prison as he awaits trial over the torching of the doors of FSB security service headquarters.

Moscow City Court upheld the decision by a district court to jail Pavlensky during the investigation into his political protest last month, RIA Novosti news agency reported.

The 31-year-old artist previously nailed his scrotum to the ground in Red Square in a protest against the police state.

His lawyer had argued he should not be in jail because he has a fixed address and children and his offence is not serious enough to warrant pre-trial detention.

The artist was detained after a filmed performance in which he stood in front of the blazing doors of the looming headquarters of Russia's FSB security service with a petrol canister.

The performance won praise from Pussy Riot punk band member Nadezhda Toloknnikova, who called it the most important work of contemporary art of recent years.

On Thursday Pavlensky repeated calls to be tried for "terrorism", not the current charge of vandalism, which carries a maximum sentence of three years. He has refused to comply with the court unless the offence is reclassified.

"I would ask to reclassify it as terrorism or totally cancel my arrest and view my action as an artistic gesture," he said from prison via video-link in court.

Pavlensky was ordered detained behind bars for 30 days on November 10. The next hearing will decide whether to extend his detention beyond December 8.