Former head of Bolshoi theatre arrives at court to testify in acid attack trial

(20 Nov 2013) The ousted head of the Bolshoi Theatre arrived at a Moscow courthouse on Wednesday to testify in the trial of a ballet dancer accused of masterminding an acid attack on the ballet's artistic director. Sergei Filin lost most of the sight in one eye and 20 percent in the other when an assailant threw acid in his face as he returned home on 17 January. General director Anatoly Iksanov was ousted after the attack, which has exposed intrigue and infighting within the celebrated Moscow theatre. On his way into court, reporters asked him how the Bolshoi Theatre made decisions about allocating grants. "Depends on the quality of the role performance, from the amount of the plays or rehearsals that the artist does. And let me repeat this again, the decision is being made by a committee, it is a collective decision," he replied. Prosecutors allege that the 29-year-old soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko colluded with an ex-convict Yuri Zarutsky, who allegedly threw the acid. Dmitrichenko has pleaded not guilty and insists that Zarutsky acted of his own accord. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...