French prosecutors placed Pyotr Pavlensky and Alexandra de Taddeo, the couple suspected of publishing a racy video alleged to be of former Paris mayoral candidate Benjamin Griveaux, under formal investigation on Tuesday, reports FRANCE 24.
French prosecutors earlier on Tuesday placed de Taddeo, 29, under formal investigation for invasion of privacy and publishing images of a sexual nature without consent.
De Taddeo was the recipient of the video that prompted the ruling party's Benjamin Griveaux to abruptly pull out of the race for mayor of Paris last week. She is being investigated for the leaking of a video sent in 2018 that showed a man masturbating along with racy text messages.
Pavlensky, a Russian activist who was granted political asylum in France in 2017, has admitted to uploading the images onto a purpose-built website, saying he wanted to expose the "hypocrisy" of Griveaux, a married father of three.
Pavlensky, 35, is also facing legal action over the affair that ended the campaign of the former government spokesman – the first senior French politician to bow out of an election over a sex scandal.
Pavlensky and de Taddeo were taken into custody in Paris on Saturday and questioned for two days. De Taddeo was released on Tuesday and ordered to refrain from contact with Pavlensky.