Double trouble no more: MMA Askhabov twins emerge unscathed from torture conspiracy charges
Renowned MMA fighter Khusein Askhabov, and his identical twin, Khasan, have been released unscathed following charges of conspiracy to torture and extortion. The Askhabov brothers’ release was broadcast on a Russian-language social media platform, as verified by the sports channel Red Fury MMA.
The charges originated from an incident involving the alleged invasion of an Italian man’s villa by three Kazakh nationals at a resort in Cherng Talay. The Italian man was reportedly subjected to an hours-long ordeal of being restrained and beaten for information. The Kazakh trio managed to escape with more than 12 million baht worth of personal items belonging to the man, before boarding a flight from Phuket to Dubai.
Cherng Talay Police Superintendent Police Colonel Chalermchai Hersawat confirmed the arrest of the Askhabov brothers on September 5, in a report detailing the incident. The report was then addressed to all high-ranking officials in the police force, including Police General Torsak Sukwimol, the then-deputy national police chief, who now holds the position of Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police. Strikingly, neither the Cherng Talay Police nor the Phuket Provincial Police have made any public comments on the matter.
Despite the accusations levelled against them, it was later revealed that the Askhabov brothers were not implicated in the incident. The revelation led to the dismissal of all charges against them, the post on the VKontakte social network stated.
“The injured person named the athletes, but during the investigation, it turned out that they were not involved in this incident. Now the police are going to open a case against the victim for false testimony.”
Upon their release, plans for Khusein’s next UFC fight in February or March have already commenced. The twins were initially arrested under warrants No. 479/2566 and No. 480/2566, issued by the Phuket Provincial Court on September 4.
The intention behind their arrest was to prosecute them for the act of robbery done with cruelty to the extent that others receive it and endangering the body or mind through torture. However, with their exoneration, the brothers are now free to resume their sporting careers, reported Phuket News.
