Hero of Almaty airport hostage rescue declines victim status

Tengrinews.kz – The trial of 67-year-old Mashrapbek Baratov, who took a female airport employee hostage in early March, continues in Almaty.

At the second court hearing on April 9, motions were heard from the lawyer representing Mussa Abdraim, the man who courageously intervened during the incident by offering himself as a hostage in place of the woman. The defense requested that Abdraim be recognized as a victim in the case and that the proceedings be returned to the prosecutor for further investigation.

However, Abdraim himself submitted a separate motion, asking not to be considered a victim. He stated that he had voluntarily rescued the woman and suffered no harm to his health.

Following the motion, the judge retired to the deliberation room.

At the first court hearing on April 7, the session was adjourned due to a misunderstanding between the prosecutor and the defendant regarding one of the charges. Baratov is charged under Article 261, Part 2, Clause 4 of the Criminal Code — hostage-taking with the purpose of coercion. The defendant insists he made no demands, claiming he simply asked to be allowed into the waiting area for 2–3 minutes.

During that hearing, the female airport employee who was taken hostage gave emotional testimony, breaking into tears as she recalled the events. Baratov also shared his account and claimed to suffer from a concussion, though his defense admitted that no official medical documents support this claim.

On March 7, a man armed with a kitchen knife took an airport employee hostage at Almaty International Airport, shocking the country.

Just seven minutes later, he was disarmed and apprehended thanks to the heroic actions of Mussa Abdraim, who offered himself in place of the hostage. At the right moment, Abdraim grabbed the knife from the attacker, allowing police to detain him.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was informed of the incident and, on the same day, awarded Abdraim the "Erligi Ushin" ("For Valor") medal for his bravery and selflessness during the crisis.