Bolshoi dancer beaten up by police

Pavel Dmitrichenko, the Bolshoi Soloist accused of organising the attack on the company's director, Sergei Filin, was beaten up by masked police as he was taken back to prison following a pre-trial hearing.

According to Izvestia,  he was beaten by three police officers without apparent reason. Dmitrichenko was handcuffed, but they held him against a wall and struck his hands and feet until he fell to the ground. He has suffered bruising  and abrasions on his face and body.

Dmitrichenko's lawyer has said that he will push for criminal charges against the guards.

During the court session, Filin's lawyer told the court that not only her client would be seeking damages, but also the Russian Health Ministry will be looking for compensation for the expenses incurred in treating Filin's eyesight in Germany.

Dmitrichenko is charged with “intentional infliction of grievous bodily harm” and faces up to 12 years in prison if found guilty. Previously he had said that when he heard of the attack on television, his hands started shaking and his knees went weak, and he could not eat, drink or talk. Chief Investigator, Dmitry Altynov,  however, told the Moskovsky Komsomolets paper that phone records indicated that there had been several calls between him and Yury Zarutsky, who carried out the attack, and immediately after they had met in a car when Dmitrichenko handed over the 3,000 rubles payment for a job completed.

The main hearing will begin on October 22.