''French Spider-Man'' climbs Paris building to campaign for jailed woman

Paris, Augst 31  

Alain Robert, the man dubbed the "French Spider-Man", scaled a 185-metre high skyscraper in Paris' business district on Wednesday to campaign for the release of a woman jailed for murdering her violent husband.

The 54-year-old, who has made his way up landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and Burj Khalifa in Dubai as well as made climbs to raise awareness for different causes, reached the top of the Tour T1 building in less than 30 minutes.

Without using a harness, he grasped at protruding parts of the building as office workers watched from the ground and nearby windows.

Robert told Reuters that he had undertaken the challenge to campaign for the release of Jacqueline Sauvage, whose 2012 conviction for the murder of her violent husband has stirred French public opinion.

In a rare use of a presidential pardon in France, President Francois Hollande agreed in January to reduce her 10-year prison sentence, following a plea by her daughters and an online petition. However her parole request was rejected by a court this month.

Like in past climbs, Robert was later taken to the local police station for questioning, but was quickly released. —