MOSCOW, July 25 (Itar-Tass) —— The Moscow Zamoskvoretsky District court on Wednesday has opened merit hearings into a criminal case opened against the 26-year-old professional martial arts fighter Rasul Mirzayev put on trial on murder charges.
Rasul Mirzayev, Russia's and world champion in martial arts fighting, was charged for causing intentional harm to his victim's health which entailed his death. Mirzayev if convicted faces a prison term of up to 15 years.
According to the investigation, on August 15, 2011 Mirzayev, who has a sports degree in wrestling, used his professional sports skills in a fight against the 19- year-old student Ivan Agaphonov and deliberately dealt an accentuated blow to the victim, striking him in the face. The victim fell, his head badly hitting a hard asphalt surface. He was rushed to a hospital where he fell into a coma and three days later died.
Several forensic examinations proved that the victim's death was a result of a severe injury the victim received when he fell onto the asphalt surface.
At the previous court hearings the judge, Andrei Fedin, turned down Mirzayev's request to continue court hearings in a closed regime.
Lawyer for the family of the victim Oksana Mikhalkina said that Mirzayev had apologized to the parents of the victim and asked to forgive him. Mirzayev told them that he deeply regrets the incident and that he did not realize what tragic consequences the incident might entail. But the victim's parents did not accept Mirzayev's apology, the lawyer said.