One of two men detained in Kazakhstan on suspicion of killing Olympic figure skating medalist Denis Ten has confessed, authorities said Friday.
Prosecutor Berik Zhuyrektayev said in a televised statement that Nuraly Kiyasov "confessed his guilt in the presence of an attorney" while being questioned over the 25-year-old skater's death Thursday in the Kazakh city of Almaty.
The prosecutor didn't give further details of what exactly Kiyasov had said.
In this Feb. 16, 2018 file photo, figure skater Denis Ten, of Kazakhstan, reacts as his score is posted following his performance in the men's short program figure skating, in the Gangneung Ice Arena at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)
Police have also detained 23-year-old Arman Kudaibergenov in connection with Ten's death, which has prompted national mourning. Authorities released a picture of the disheveled-looking man being held by masked men wearing body armor and camouflage uniforms.
Ten was stabbed after a dispute with people who allegedly tried to steal a mirror from his car in his home city of Almaty. He died in hospital of massive blood loss from multiple wounds, the Kazinform news agency said.
Prosecutors are treating his death as murder.
In this Oct. 21, 2017 file photo, Denis Ten, of Kazakhstan, skates his free program at the Rostelekom Cup ISU Grand Prix figure skating event in Moscow, Russia. Prosecutors in Kazakhstan said Thursday, July 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev, File)
Kazinform reported that Kiyasov was taken to the scene of the crime under heavy security Friday as part of the investigation.
Ten's bronze in Sochi in 2014 made him Kazakhstan's first Olympic medalist in figure skating. He also won the Four Continents championships in 2015, and was a world championship silver medalist in 2013.
He struggled with injuries in recent years and could only finish 27th at the Pyeongchang Olympics in February.
Ten had been working on a script in recent months which the Kazakh-Russian director Timur Bekmambetov said Friday would now be turned into a movie.
"We're definitely going to try to realize his idea and shoot a film dedicated to this multi-talented person," Bekmambetov said in comments released by Kazakhstan's embassy to Russia. "In his 25 years, Ten managed to do very much and had grand plans which he would surely have put into practice because he was a real hard worker."
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine forces killed an Abu Sayyaf militant, who had been implicated in past beheadings, including of 10 Filipino marines and two kidnapped Vietnamese, in a clash in the south, police officials said Friday.
Philippine police, backed by military intelligence agents, killed Nawapi Abdulsaid in a brief gunbattle Wednesday night in the remote coastal town of Hadji Mohammad Ajul on Basilan island after weeks of surveillance, security officials said.
Abu Sayyaf is a small but violent armed Muslim group, which has been blacklisted by the United States and the Philippines as a terrorist organization for ransom kidnappings, beheadings, bombings and other bloody attacks.
It has been considerably weakened by battle setbacks, surrenders and infighting, but remains a security threat particularly in the southern Philippines, home to minority Muslims in the predominantly Roman Catholic nation.
Abdulsaid, who used the nom de guerre Khatan, was one of several Abu Sayyaf militants who aligned themselves with the Islamic State group.
A confidential police report said that Abdulsaid had been implicated in at least 15 beheadings in Basilan, including of 10 Philippine marines in Al-Barka town in 2007 and two of six kidnapped Vietnamese sailors near Sumisip town in 2016. The Vietnamese were seized from a passing cargo ship.
He was also involved in attacks against government forces in 2022 and a bombing in November that killed two pro-government militiamen and wounded two others in Basilan, the report said.
Abdulsaid was placed under surveillance in February, but police forces couldn't immediately move to make a arrest because of the “hostile nature” of the area where he was eventually gunned down, according to the report.
On Monday, Philippine troops killed the leader of another Muslim rebel group and 11 of his men blamed for past bombings and extortion in a separate clash in a marshy hinterland in Datu Saudi Ampatuan town in southern Maguindanao del Sur province, the military said.
Seven soldiers were wounded in the clash with the members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.
The Abu Sayyaf and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters are among a few small armed groups still struggling to wage a separatist uprising in the southern Philippines.
The largest armed separatist group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, signed a 2014 peace pact with the government that eased decades of sporadic fighting.
Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebel commanders became parliamentarians and administrators of a five-province Muslim autonomous region in a transition arrangement after signing the peace deal. They are preparing for a regular election scheduled for next year.
FILE - In this handout photo provided by the Philippine Army 6th Infantry Division, recovered firearms from suspected members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters are seen after a gunbattle with Philippine troops at Datu Saudi Ampatuan town in Maguindanao del Sur province, southern Philippines, on April 22, 2024. Philippine forces killed an Abu Sayyaf militant, who had been implicated in past beheadings, including of 10 Filipino marines and two kidnapped Vietnamese, in a clash in the south, police officials said Friday, April 26. (Philippine Army 6th Infantry Division via AP, File)
Philippine police kill an Abu Sayyaf militant implicated in 15 beheadings and other atrocities
Philippine police kill an Abu Sayyaf militant implicated in 15 beheadings and other atrocities
In this handout photo provided by the Philippine Army 6th Infantry Division, recovered firearms from suspected members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters are seen after a gunbattle with Philippine troops at Datu Saudi Ampatuan town in Maguindanao del Sur province, southern Philippines on Monday April 22, 2024. Philippine troops killed the leader of a small Muslim rebel group and eleven of his men blamed for past bombings and extortion in a clash in the country's south, military officials said Tuesday. (Philippine Army 6th Infantry Division via AP)
