A Kazakh man who disarmed a hostage-taker by grabbing the knife from his hand at Almaty International Airport is being celebrated internationally for his courage.
Several videos and accounts of the dramatic scene in the airport on Friday are circulating widely on the internet. The videos show the assailant holding a woman by her hair and making threats as security officials converge. He then lets go of the woman after a man offers himself as a hostage – and disarms the hostage-taker shortly afterward. A scuffle ensues as the man and officials subdue the attacker.
Multiple reports identified the man who disarmed the attacker as former boxer Musa Abdraim, who is in his early 50s. The World Boxing Council identified him as Mussa Abraimov. WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman said on Instagram that he had a “great” video call with the former boxer and that he would receive the council’s “bravest man on earth” award.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was informed about the hostage situation at the airport, according to presidential press secretary Ruslan Zheldibay.
“The President highlighted the bravery and skill of the man who disarmed the criminal and ordered that he be nominated for a state award,” Zheldibay said on social media platforms.
The woman who was taken hostage and released was in uniform, suggesting that she was an airport employee. The attack occurred in the security check area of the airport. A criminal case has been opened against the hostage-taker. Authorities have not commented on his motivations.
Abdraim spoke to journalists after the incident.
“I watched him carefully, and as soon as his grip weakened slightly, I had to seize the knife from his hands,” Tengri News, a media outlet based in Kazakhstan, quoted him as saying. “As a man, as a citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan, I simply could not have acted differently.”
