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| Bolshoi acid attack: Soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko jailed | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A Moscow court has jailed Bolshoi Ballet soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko for six years for organising an acid attack on the company's artistic director. | |
| Two fellow defendants were jailed for 10 and four years. | |
| Sulphuric acid was thrown at Bolshoi artistic director Sergei Filin outside his Moscow flat in January, badly damaging his eyesight. | Sulphuric acid was thrown at Bolshoi artistic director Sergei Filin outside his Moscow flat in January, badly damaging his eyesight. |
| Dmitrichenko had admitted he wanted Mr Filin "roughed up" but had denied wanting acid thrown into his face. | Dmitrichenko had admitted he wanted Mr Filin "roughed up" but had denied wanting acid thrown into his face. |
| Investigators said Dmitrichenko had organised the attack because of a conflict with Mr Filin. | Investigators said Dmitrichenko had organised the attack because of a conflict with Mr Filin. |
| The case has revealed bitter rivalries and infighting at the Bolshoi, one of Russia's most famous ballet and opera companies. | The case has revealed bitter rivalries and infighting at the Bolshoi, one of Russia's most famous ballet and opera companies. |
| Twenty operations | Twenty operations |
| Dmitrichenko's fellow defendant Yuri Zarutsky, a former convict, admitted actually throwing the acid. He was sentenced to ten years. | |
| The third man accused, Andrei Lipatov, drove Zarutsky to and from the scene of the attack. He was was given four years' prison. | |
| "Their guilt in committing the crime has been established in full," judge Yelena Maximova said. | |
| Zarutsky had argued that throwing acid in Filin's face was his own idea. Lipatov said he had not known where he was taking the other man. | Zarutsky had argued that throwing acid in Filin's face was his own idea. Lipatov said he had not known where he was taking the other man. |
| Since the attack near his home in Moscow on 17 January, Mr Filin has had more than 20 operations to try to save his eyesight. | Since the attack near his home in Moscow on 17 January, Mr Filin has had more than 20 operations to try to save his eyesight. |
| Following treatment in Germany, he returned to Moscow. Wearing dark glasses he gave evidence at the trial. | Following treatment in Germany, he returned to Moscow. Wearing dark glasses he gave evidence at the trial. |
| "The pain was immense and instant," he said of the attack. | "The pain was immense and instant," he said of the attack. |
| "It had been a beautiful winter night: silent, white, great drifts of snow falling upon snow. I began scooping up handfuls of it and pressing them into my eyes and cheeks to relieve the agony." | "It had been a beautiful winter night: silent, white, great drifts of snow falling upon snow. I began scooping up handfuls of it and pressing them into my eyes and cheeks to relieve the agony." |
| Mr Filin denied he had had any conflict with the dancer, whom he accused of seeking to damage his reputation before the attack through false allegations of affairs with ballerinas and favouritism. | Mr Filin denied he had had any conflict with the dancer, whom he accused of seeking to damage his reputation before the attack through false allegations of affairs with ballerinas and favouritism. |
| Defence witnesses sought to portray Mr Filin as authoritarian while Dmitrichenko was portrayed as a champion of other performers who feared to speak out against the artistic director. | Defence witnesses sought to portray Mr Filin as authoritarian while Dmitrichenko was portrayed as a champion of other performers who feared to speak out against the artistic director. |
| Shock resignation | Shock resignation |
| The Bolshoi has undergone a number of changes, appointing a new director, Vladimir Urin, who told the BBC in July that the company faced "difficult challenges". | The Bolshoi has undergone a number of changes, appointing a new director, Vladimir Urin, who told the BBC in July that the company faced "difficult challenges". |
| On Monday, the sudden resignation of the Bolshoi's music director and chief conductor, Vasily Sinaisky, was announced without explanation. | On Monday, the sudden resignation of the Bolshoi's music director and chief conductor, Vasily Sinaisky, was announced without explanation. |
| Mr Sinaisky made no comment on his departure, according to Russian media. He had been due to conduct Verdi's opera Don Carlos, which is premiering at the theatre in two weeks. | Mr Sinaisky made no comment on his departure, according to Russian media. He had been due to conduct Verdi's opera Don Carlos, which is premiering at the theatre in two weeks. |
| In another development, the Bolshoi said it was not renewing the contract of an aide to Mr Filin, Dilyara Timergazina. Her contract expires at the end of this year. | In another development, the Bolshoi said it was not renewing the contract of an aide to Mr Filin, Dilyara Timergazina. Her contract expires at the end of this year. |
| A source told Russian daily Izvestia that Mr Filin himself would no longer work for the company after his own contract expired in 2016. | A source told Russian daily Izvestia that Mr Filin himself would no longer work for the company after his own contract expired in 2016. |