"Nobody apologized before me"

A native of Kyrgyzstan to Dastan Sherseev - 26 years old. Until recently, he was “widely known in narrow circles” - as a fighter performing at kickboxing competitions and Thai boxing. Now Shersheev has become a real star and a symbol of the struggle for justice. On April 22, in Kazan, he refused to leave the ring after the judge counted his defeat in the battle with the Russian Anton Kalinin, despite the fact that Shersheev managed to send his opponent to the knockdown. The next day, the Internet flooded the video of the battle, which shows how the chief judge of the tournament threatens the Kyrgyz with deportation from Russia and the prison if he does not refuse to come to terms with defeat and leave the ring.

After the protection of guarding by force to bring Shersheev from the ring (unsuccessful), he took the microphone from the leading microphone and made a speech in which he thanked the hall for his support. "You saw everything, I won!" - "Yes!" - the audience shout in response. "Ask yourself the question: where is justice in this world?" - "In money!" -shouts someone from the hall. "Or does the color of my skin matter?" - "No!" - people shout in the stands.

The next morning, after tens of thousands of people watched the video of the fight and the events that took place after him, Dustan Sherseev woke up a real star. A few days later, he appeared as a guest in the morning political show "Cactus", which, as part of the Navalny Live video project, is conducted by associates of the opposition politician Nikolai Lyaskin and Lyubov Sobol. The fighter said that for several years has been spending most of the time in Russia, where he has his own fighting club. According to him, he does not hold evil for the Russians after what happened and is sure that justice can only be achieved if he is ready to fight for her.

The battle, during which the described events took place, took place according to the so -called TNA rules . They combine elements of kickboxing, karate and Thai boxing. The regulations of the tournament and the rules are the author's development of its organizers. Tournaments for these rules have been held in Kazan since 2007. Neither the judge nor the organizers apologized to Dastan Shersheev, but they offered him a match-rare with the same opponent. The Kyrgyz fighter accepted this proposal.

Dastan Shersheev spoke about his view of this story in an interview with Radio Liberty:

- According to the rules of TNA, three rounds are held for three minutes. If there are no knockdown within three rounds, an extra second is given. I sent my opponent in the third round to a knockdown, but the judge somehow did not pay attention to it and, on the contrary, gave me a warning. Then they gave the fourth round, extra-rang. In the extra-round, I went out full of strength and won it by 80%. And now I am standing, I am confident that they would raise my hand now, I was glad that I won, but, unfortunately, they raised my hand. It was very offended to me that the judges so unfairly issued their verdict, and I refused to leave the ring. I demanded justice, I demanded the truth, I demanded honesty. At some point, this judge says: "If you do not come out now, we are deporting you." The chief judge said this. I said: "I don't care." And my coach also supported me. Then the main organizer approaches my coach and says: "Come on, go out if you do not go out - we will call the guard!" We say: "Well, call." Then the guard came. Such a small, barely breathing person. The guard says to me: "Come on, come out, Dastan!" I tell them: "This is not your business, do not interfere!" As a result, I went out, but I went out myself, no one forced me. I took the microphone and thanked everyone in the Tatneft Herd. There was a whole hall for me, the whole hall supported me, can you imagine? I thanked them all for their support and asked the question: "Where is justice?" Even the video shows how the crowd supports me. It all ended, but yesterday the TNA federation proposed a match-rare. He will be in two months, there we will solve all issues.

- How would you appreciate what happened in the ring?

- You saw all this. It was very unpleasant. You give so much effort, train, get ready, and then they take away the victory from your hands. This is very disappointing. Those who play sports will understand this.

- What happened after this battle? Have you been threatened or, conversely, sent messages with words of support? Previously, you were known only to those who are interested in such battles, now your fame has gone beyond the scope of sports.

- My video is already gaining three million views. Yes, I quickly became famous, but I did not strive for this. For all the will of the Almighty. I accept this with dignity, because I am a man, I am responsible for all my words. For those that he said there, for those that I say now. I'm going to the end.

- In an interview with Alexei Navalny's associates in the Cactus program, you said that in fact you have been living in Moscow for five years. During this time, you had to deal with the manifestations of racism or xenophobia?

- Let's say this: Russia is a great power. A lot of nations live in Russia. It is impossible to say because of one person that the Russians are Nazis. This will be a mistake. There are people like this judge who threatened me. But because of one person about the whole people, one cannot say that. I had not encountered such problems in Moscow before, no one threatened me, no one infringed on me. I go with dignity, with my head raised, I do not give myself offense and I will not give.

- Have you had to fight for justice before and restore it?

- I live this. I am for justice, I am for the truth. Yes, there were cases, because we, youth, must defend our own.

- Do you know about the problems that your compatriots and immigrants from other Central Asian countries face in Russia? Do you communicate with each other as part of the diaspora, help each other?

We cooperate with the Ministry of Internal Affairs. They periodically come and conduct, say, lessons

- Yes, we communicate. In my hall under my leadership, 250 people are trained. Among them there are people of different nationalities, but there is a group where only the Kyrgyz come. We cooperate with the Ministry of Internal Affairs. They periodically come and conduct, let’s say, lessons: how to act in a particular situation, to whom to contact, on the topic of extremism. They support us, I am very grateful to them.

- After you came to the channel of Alexei Navalny, an opposition policy, are you not afraid that you are also recognized as an extremist?

- What to be afraid? We have everything according to the law, everything is specifically. I personally did not commit either administrative or criminal offenses, my hall too. Why should I be afraid if the Russians also support me? The Russian people and all the CIS supports me. I'm not afraid, I am for justice. Me and my people, we go to the end. We do not give up, we are like that.

- Alexey Navalny is also justice, but the Russian authorities consider him an extremist, yesterday he was once again attacked .

Alexey Navalny after the next attack

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- Well, you see - you have to fight and not give up for this. And those who fight, who are looking for, will always find. In any case, no matter what happens, our day will come, there will be a holiday on our street.

- The Russian authorities, among other things, reproach Navalny that he wants to arrange a revolution in the country. In your country over the past 20 years, there were already two of them. How do you feel about this method of changing power?

- I live in sports, I do not want to mix politics and sport. I'm in sports. Politics is not mine. I cannot answer this question.

- In your homeland, in Kyrgyzstan, in recent years, life has become better or worse? Why did you decide to open a sports club in Moscow, and not in Kyrgyzstan?

- Well, for that matter, let's talk. I can’t say that everyone lives well in my homeland. There are people who live well, but there are those who do not have enough for bread. My fellow countrymen, the Kyrgyz, come here not from a good life. They want to earn extra money, feed their families, build a house. They must also be understood. In recent years, we have had a lot of power change, but we hope that our republic has a bright future. And there are such people in our parliament, which for justice that are not bought for money.

- Do you know that Navalny advocates the introduction of a visa regime with the countries of Central Asia? How do you feel about this idea?

- I think that even if you make a visa mode, this will not change anything. Russia as a whole really needs migrants.

Russia as a whole really needs migrants

-Recently there was a terrorist attack in the metro of St. Petersburg. Law enforcement agencies consider him the actor of Akbarzhon Dzalilov, a native of Kyrgyzstan, from Osh. Many in Russia, however, have long ceased to believe the official versions of the authorities after such incidents - after the same explosion in the subway , one person was first appointed guilty , only for his Muslim clothes, then the other, for his Kazakh origin, then this Jalilov. You followed this whole story, what do you think of it?

- Yes, followed. We, the Kyrgyz, for the world. We want the world around the world to be. We, the Kyrgyz, have nothing to do with this terrorist attack. I and all my fellow countrymen, we are law -abiding people, we are not extremists. I am responsible for everyone that the Kyrgyz will not follow this way-to blow up someone. There is no such thing in Islam. Islam, on the contrary, urges everyone to live together, so that there is friendship between peoples. You know, I want to convey to every young man who comes here, to convey that there are different cases in life. So that if he falls into some situation, he behaved correctly. I personally invite them, and we are conducting such conversations with them.

- Another scandal was recently connected with mixed sports martial arts in Russia - in Chechnya, the organizers of one of the tournaments made demonstrative battles of children in the ring . Ramzan Kadyrov and his supporters say that there is nothing special about this, in other regions of Russia many children's battles outraged. How did you react to this?

- Sorry, I can't comment on it.

- Now you plan to return to Kyrgyzstan or will you stay in Moscow?

- I have planned battles for each month. World Championship in Belarus, then revenge with Anton Kalinin, and so on and further.

-The organizers of the fighting according to the rules of TNA offered you a revenge, and any of them at all in front of you apologized for what happened in Kazan? At least the same judge?

- No, no one apologized, and that judge too.