The Bolshoi ballet star accused of masterminding the attack on the company’s artistic director says he gave the go-ahead for the attack, but did not order the perpetrator to throw acid on the artistic director’s face.

Bolshoi soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko has told a Moscow court that he had complained about Sergei Filin to an acquaintance, who offered to “beat him up.”

Dmitrichenko said: “It’s not true that I ordered him to throw acid at Filin.”

Filin’s face and eyes suffered severe burns in the attack.

The court will decide whether Dmitrichenko and his two co-defendants should remain in custody pending trial.