This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/12/bolshoi-acid-attack-members-support-dancer
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Bolshoi ballet acid attack: theatre members support dancer | Bolshoi ballet acid attack: theatre members support dancer |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| More than 300 members of the Bolshoi Theatre have signed an open letter in support of a leading dancer accused of orchestrating an acid attack on the director of the theatre's renowned ballet. | More than 300 members of the Bolshoi Theatre have signed an open letter in support of a leading dancer accused of orchestrating an acid attack on the director of the theatre's renowned ballet. |
| "The time has come for those people who directly worked and continue to work with two outstanding artists to speak out," they said in an open letter addressed to Vladimir Putin, other top officials and "fans of ballet and theatre in Russia and abroad". | "The time has come for those people who directly worked and continue to work with two outstanding artists to speak out," they said in an open letter addressed to Vladimir Putin, other top officials and "fans of ballet and theatre in Russia and abroad". |
| Russia's cultural world has been fraught with tension since Pavel Dmitrichenko, a dancer at the Bolshoi, confessed to organising an acid attack that almost left his director, Sergei Filin, blind. | Russia's cultural world has been fraught with tension since Pavel Dmitrichenko, a dancer at the Bolshoi, confessed to organising an acid attack that almost left his director, Sergei Filin, blind. |
| Dmitrichenko was detained and charged last week, along with two accomplices, over the attack in mid-January. He has confessed to ordering an attack on Filin over differences related to how he ran the Bolshoi ballet troupe, but insists he never intended acid to be used. | Dmitrichenko was detained and charged last week, along with two accomplices, over the attack in mid-January. He has confessed to ordering an attack on Filin over differences related to how he ran the Bolshoi ballet troupe, but insists he never intended acid to be used. |
| "For those who know Pavel Dmitrichenko, even the thought that he could have been the instigator and organiser of this crime, committed in such a brutal way, is absurd," the letter said. "The conclusions made by the investigation seem premature to us, the evidence unconvincing and Pavel's confession, later changed, the result of strong pressure on him." | "For those who know Pavel Dmitrichenko, even the thought that he could have been the instigator and organiser of this crime, committed in such a brutal way, is absurd," the letter said. "The conclusions made by the investigation seem premature to us, the evidence unconvincing and Pavel's confession, later changed, the result of strong pressure on him." |
| The Bolshoi artists called for an independent commission to oversee the investigation. | The Bolshoi artists called for an independent commission to oversee the investigation. |
| Anatoly Iksanov, the Bolshoi's general director, supported the letter. | Anatoly Iksanov, the Bolshoi's general director, supported the letter. |
| "There is a whole series of factors from which it follows that the organiser may have been someone else, maybe outside the theatre – the investigation must sort this out," he said, the RIA-Novosti news agency reported. | "There is a whole series of factors from which it follows that the organiser may have been someone else, maybe outside the theatre – the investigation must sort this out," he said, the RIA-Novosti news agency reported. |
| Moscow police issued a statement saying they "have deep respect for the work of the artists of the Bolshoi theatre and respect their opinion". | Moscow police issued a statement saying they "have deep respect for the work of the artists of the Bolshoi theatre and respect their opinion". |
| Filin had long insisted he knew who organised the attack against him. | Filin had long insisted he knew who organised the attack against him. |
| Speaking to Russian state television in a rare interview aired on Tuesday, he insisted he never showed any "hostility" toward Dmitrichenko. "Every time, every moment, every meeting with Pavel Dmitrichenko was, for me, yet another threat, yet another demonstration of hostility," Filin said, wearing dark glasses and a black hat and scarf to cover his face. | Speaking to Russian state television in a rare interview aired on Tuesday, he insisted he never showed any "hostility" toward Dmitrichenko. "Every time, every moment, every meeting with Pavel Dmitrichenko was, for me, yet another threat, yet another demonstration of hostility," Filin said, wearing dark glasses and a black hat and scarf to cover his face. |
| Filin underwent several operations to repair the skin on his face and his eyes, scorched after the masked attacker splashed him with sulphuric acid. He is receiving further treatment in Germany. | Filin underwent several operations to repair the skin on his face and his eyes, scorched after the masked attacker splashed him with sulphuric acid. He is receiving further treatment in Germany. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. | |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Enter your email address to subscribe. |