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In an "astonishing act of bravery," Mussa Abraimov, a 52-year-old former boxer, single-handedly disarmed a criminal at the Almaty Airport on March 7, the WBC said on its website.
Abdraim intervened when a 67-year-old man threatened to detonate a bomb while holding a 21-year-old airport staff member hostage, gripping her hair and brandishing a knife.
Without hesitation, the former professional boxer persuaded the attacker to release the woman and take him as a hostage instead. In a swift move, captured on security footage and shared widely on social media, Abdraim disarmed and subdued the suspect.
Police and security quickly apprehended the attacker.
A video of former boxer Musa Abdraim disarming and subduing a bomb threat suspect at Almaty Airport in Kazakhstan as shared on social media
The WBC awarded him the "Hero of Humanity" medal.
This award, initially created to honor those who confronted the Covid-19 pandemic, has been expanded to recognize other heroic acts.
Abdraim, a father of five, recounted the incident to Hindustan Times, saying he heard screams while seeing off relatives at the airport. "I wasn't afraid for myself. But I felt anxious: what if he kills that girl? I thought, 'What if it's my daughter?' It was my duty as a man," he said.
Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has announced that Abdraim will receive a state medal for his actions.
According to the New York Post, the suspect faces up to 12 years in prison as law enforcement continues its criminal investigation.
