Russian artist cuts off ear lobe in protest

An artist who previously hammered his scrotum to the cobblestones of Red Square has now cut off his ear lobe to protest against his country putting political prisoners in psychiatric wards.

Pyotr Pavlensky took the extraordinary measure after Mikhail Kosenko was put in a psychiatric ward. Kosenko had been convicted of rioting and assaulting a police officer during a protest in 2012.

Amnesty International has previously raised concerns over Kosenko being in a ward.