Kuat Khamitov was placed in a temporary detention facility in his hometown of Almaty for 3 days.
A Kazakh MMA fighter was arrested after publishing a bizarre tirade where he encouraged people to shoot down helicopters spreading COVID-19.
Kuat Khamitov — a veteran of Russian MMA promotion Fight Nights Global — was placed in a temporary detention facility in his native Almaty. The fighter posted a YouTube clip where he called on people to attack those who disinfect themselves before declaring war against the helicopters that he claims are responsible for spreading the coronavirus.
“Just yesterday people started to disinfecting, started to poison the nation, therefore I call for anyone who sees these people in the street to beat them up,” Khamitov, said. “Beat them with sticks and with stones so that these people do not poison the nation. And if you see helicopters that are spreading this, and you have a gun at home, shoot straight at them.
“It’s like in war. If we stop these people then we’ll save thousands. Therefore I ask that everyone does everything in their power so that the virus does not reappear and infect the nation.”
The 32-year-old fighter was subsequently arrested and charged with inciting mass civil unrest.
“During the monitoring of social media, a video appeared featuring K. Khamitov with a call to violence,”a police statement read. ”The current charge is registered in a single record of pre-trial investigation according to article 272 part 3 of the criminal code (call to mass civil unrest).”
Khamitov faces up to three years in prison if found guilty.