Support The Moscow Times!

Suspect in Acid Attack on Ballet Director Detained

Moscow police have detained a suspect in the January acid attack on the Bolshoi Ballet's artistic director, Sergei Filin, a statement on the official police website said Tuesday.

The police statement did not identify the suspect, but Interfax cited a police source as saying the suspect was not a member of the theater's ballet troupe.

According to the tabloid Lifenews, which is known to have strong links to law enforcement agencies, investigators found the suspect by wiretapping all the phone calls made near Filin's house around the time of the attack.

It has also been determined that the attacker had an accomplice.

The suspect was detained around 6 a.m. Tuesday in the Moscow region town of Stupino. Police are searching local places visited by the suspect and the Moscow apartment of his parents, Lifenews reported.

Filin, 42, was hospitalized with burns to his face and eyes after a masked attacker splashed acid on his face outside his apartment building on Troitskaya Ulitsa on Jan. 17.

He has undergone a number of surgeries on his face and eyes and may still need a few more, though it is not clear whether his eyesight will be fully restored.

Investigators linked the attack to Filin's job. Filin has said he knows the identity of his assailant but will not reveal who it is because of the ongoing criminal probe.

Related articles:

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more