MOSCOW, March 12 (Itar-Tass) - The Interior Ministry promised to inform the Bolshoi Theatre /GABT/ personnel about the results of the probe into the attack on artistic director Sergei Filin.
"Moscow police has profound respect for the work by Bolshoi Theatre actors and their opinions, and assure than that police, too, have professionals and that the investigators are conscientiously doing their work," the press service of the Moscow police department said on Tuesday in comments on the open letter by Bolshoi Theatre employees in defense of leading soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko, who is accused of masterminding the attack.
At present, the investigation is continuing. The results of the preliminary investigation will be announced both to the GABT collective and the broad public, the Interior Ministry said.
Earlier, Bolshoi Theatre director general Anatoly Iksanov said the mass media's opinion about the investigation into the attack on Sergei Filin was hasty.
"For a majority of us, the incident is a terrible tragedy, a psychological injury. Many mass media outlets gave hasty opinions and conclusions. The actors' letter is a normal reaction to the situation. Some personnel wish to help their colleague who found himself behind the bars. It's customary in Russia to help people in prisons."
Iskanov rejected the reproach regarding the Bolshoi Theatre administration's alleged non-interference position. "The directorate and the Board of Trustees did everything for Sergei Filin to get quality assistance immediately after the tragedy. The directorate provides to the investigators all the necessary information. The mass media reported whatever could be disclosed without harming the probe," the Bolshoi Theatre director general said.
Moscow's Taganka court sanctioned the arrest of three suspects till April 18.
When passing the decision on their arrest, the judge said no other measure of restraint was possible, as they could escape from the investigator, put pressure on witnesses, or continue their criminal activity. Also, Dmitrichenko personally knew the victim to whom he felt enmity.
Dmitrichenko, Yuri Zarutsky who has a previous criminal conviction, and driver Andrei Lipatov who had brought the perpetrator to the scene, were detained within the probe into the criminal case into the attack on Sergei Filin, the 42-year-old artistic director of Bolshoi Theatre ballet in the evening of January 17. An unidentified man splashed acid in his face near his house in Troitskaya Street. Filin was hospitalized with serious eye and face burns.