MOSCOW, July 2 (RAPSI) – A criminal case over the murder of Yury Vlasko, the two-time European junior freestyle wrestling champion, has been forwarded to court for hearing, the Investigative Committee’s directorate for Russia’s Republic of Buryatia reports Monday.

In August 2017, two men were arrested, charged with murder and detained. One of them admitted his involvement in the sportsman’s death but claimed that he was defending himself from the wrestler. Investigators, however, doubted this version as it contradicted testimony of witnesses. The third man allegedly involved in the murder was arrested in October 2017.

Investigators believe that on the night of July 28 to 29, 2017, several participants of a wrestling tournament in the city of Ulan-Ude arrived at the lake Baikal. There, on the request of a friend, Vlasko intervened in a conflict between sportsmen and local residents leading to a fight. One of the suspects allegedly stabbed Vlasko in the chest while the other one repeatedly hit him in a head with a metal rod.