Bolshoi Acid Attack Suspect Held, Dancer’s Home Searched
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YURI KADOBNOV/AFP/Getty Images(MOSCOW) — Police have reportedly detained for questioning a man they suspect was involved in the vicious sulfuric acid attack on Sergei Filin, the artistic director for the renowned Bolshoi ballet company.
In a short statement, police said the man was not a member of the dance troupe, but did not further identify him. According to Russian news reports, he was detained in a town outside Moscow.
According to the gossip website Lifenews.ru, authorities used electronic surveillance to track the suspect.
Police have not said whether they believe someone else ordered the hit, but said several members of the Bolshoi ballet remain under investigation.
Also Tuesday, police searched the apartment of Pavel Dmitrichenko, the Bolshoi’s leading dancer, in connection with the case. According to RIA Novosti, Dmitrichenko has been with the Bolshoi ballet since 2002. Theater representatives have reportedly said there was tension between him and Filin.
Filin was once the Bolshoi’s principal dancer and was named artistic director in 2011 amid controversial competition for the job. He was splashed with acid outside his home in central Moscow on Jan. 17 by a hooded assailant who then fled. Filin’s face was severely burned and he is currently in Germany as doctors work to restore his eyesight.
In an interview with the BBC before he left Russia, Filin said he had an idea who was behind the attack, but declined to name names.
Early on, fingers were pointed at Nikolai Tsiskaridze, another former top Bolshoi dancer, who has been critical of Filin’s work as artistic director and was said to have wanted the job. He has denied any involvement in the attack.
Filin reportedly told associates in the months leading up to the assault that he had been the subject of an intimidation campaign, including harassing calls and messages, but declined offers for protection.
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