Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case on hooliganism against Daghestani MMA fighter Erziman Bayramov. According to the authorities, the athlete used physical force against a passer-by who made a remark while he was reciting a namaz, an Islamic prayer, on the street. The victim is receiving treatment in hospital.
The local media outlet 78.ru has reported that the conflict began after Bayramov was seen reciting namaz in a parking lot. A passer-by approached the athlete and asked him to stop the prayer, citing a violation of the law on missionary activity. A scuffle ensued, during which Bayramov allegedly pushed the man to the ground and struck him.
Bayramov told 78.ru that during the conflict, the passer-by drew a knife, but later discarded it.
‘People came one by one, and each tried to provoke me, humiliate and insult me, to exert moral pressure on me’, Bayramov said.
Later, around 15 people affiliated with the far-right Russian organisation Russkaya Obshchina (Russian Community) arrived at the scene, reportedly insulting the athlete.
A video was published on the Telegram channel of Saint Petersburg’s Russian Community showing the arrival of its members at the location.
The channel also published a series of screenshots purportedly showing Bayramov’s ‘radical’ statements, including calls for violence and insults directed at Russians.
‘A criminal case against Erziman Bayramov has been opened. For now, he is being investigated under the article for hooliganism. In the future, we will seek to assess the severity of harm to the victim, as well as the fact that the conflict arose on religious grounds. Bayramov engaged in illegal missionary activity to attract attention, and as soon as the passer-by drew attention to this, he attacked him, motivated by intolerance towards members of other faiths. His radical views can be traced online: he calls Russians “kafirs” [unbelievers] and calls for radical actions’, representatives of the organisation stated.
The Russian Community was established in 2020 and became more active in 2024; it is known for anti-migrant actions and radical statements.
According to the Telegram channel Mash, Bayramov allegedly also recorded a video message in which he threatened the victim: ‘If you go to the police now and file a report, you are not a man’.
Bayramov told 78.ru that he and his opponent were summoned to the police station, where they provided explanations and wrote that they had no claims against each other.
In his sporting career, Bayramov has participated in bouts organised by the Hard Core, NWPA leagues, and the Saint Petersburg Pankration Federation. In MMA, he has ten wins and eight losses.
According to representatives of the Saint Petersburg MMA Federation, cited by 78.ru, Bayramov has a reputation in the city for having close ties to extremist groups. The athlete has also been expelled from sports halls multiple times for inappropriate and unethical behaviour.
The head of Russia’s Investigative Committee, Aleksandr Bastrykin, has demanded regular reports on the progress of the investigation.
Elizaveta Chukharova
