Bolshoi dancer denies planning acid attack on artistic director

A Bolshoi dancer detained on suspicion of organising an horrific acid attack against the Moscow ballet company's artistic director yesterday denied planning such an assault.

Pavel Dmitrichenko, who has been charged together with two suspected accomplices, told a Moscow court he deeply regretted the acid attack on Sergei Filin and was happy he planned to return to work next month.

The dancer, who was often cast in dark roles such as Ivan the Terrible, admitted he had artistic differences with Filin but said he had never wanted him to be so badly hurt in the attack on January 17.

Dmitrichenko told the court he had agreed to a "proposal" by the suspected perpetrator, unemployed ex-convict Yury Zarutsky, to "hit" Filin, but no more.

"I did not imagine that this person [Zarutsky] was capable of such a cruel and inhuman crime," said Dmitrichenko.

He expressed regret for encouraging Zarutsky. "Now I understand that I should not have done this," he said.

Dmitrichenko said he respected Filin "as an artist" but that he had not agreed with decisions he made after becoming artistic director of the Bolshoi.