The lawyer for a popular Mongolian rapper has confirmed that his client was violently assaulted by a Russian Embassy employee and is currently undergoing medical treatment, the Asia Russia Daily reported.
“We still don't know why the Russian employee assaulted my client,” lawyer G. Batbayar said, “whether it was because of [my client's] deel robe featuring a swastika or because [the embassy employee] was drunk.”
On Nov. 30, reports emerged that an embassy employee identified as “A.S.” had brutally attacked S. Amarmandakh, frontman of the Mongolian rap group Khar Sarnai, at a public celebration. Some accounts claimed that the fight started when the rapper, known for his nationalist views, greeted the Russian guest with the phrase “Heil Hitler.” According to reports, the Russian allegedly struck the musician over the head with a glass bottle.
Batbayar confirmed this story but clarified that the incident in question took place on Nov. 22. He says that his client is bad shape, having suffered a stroke on the left side of his brain due to being hit with the bottle. Amarmandakh is currently recovering in hospital.
The Mongolian authorities have opened a criminal case against “A.S.” The embassy employee has told his side of the story to investigators, but no details have yet been revealed.