Prosecutor demands 5 years in jail for MMA fighter Emelianenko

© RIA Novosti, Sergei Mamontov

17:39 12/05/2015

MOSCOW, May 12 (RAPSI, Diana Gutsul) – Prosecutor demanded five years in prison for MMA fighter Alexander Emelianenko who stands accused of sexual assault, Emelianenko's lawyer, Alexander Karabanov, told RAPSI on Tuesday.

According to investigators, Emelianenko assaulted and raped 27-year-old Polina Stepanova, his housekeeper, on the night of March 2, 2014, and then seized her passport. The trial is being held behind closed doors.

“Emelianenko has admitted today that he had sex [with my client], but claims that it was consensual. In my opinion, he is lying in an attempt to avoid punishment. I believe there is sufficient evidence of his guilt. The prosecutor has rejected our argument that [Emelianenko] also induced the victim to use drugs, but has upheld other charges and has asked the court to sentence him to five years in prison and a 60,000 ruble (about $1,200) fine,” said Karabanov.

He also said that Emelianenko’s attorneys showed off the fighter’s prizes in the court on Tuesday.

Emelianenko has pleaded not guilty and claims that sex with the girl was consensual.

Alexander Emelianenko is a Russian mixed martial arts fighter who has represented the country at many international championships. He ranked as the No.73 heavyweight in the world in 2013. His younger brother Fedor Emelianenko is believed to be the greatest mixed martial arts fighter in history.

Unlike his brother, Alexander is often implicated in scandals, usually as a result of alleged heavy drinking. Earlier, he was charged with assaulting a retired person at a Moscow café. The criminal case against Emelianenko was dropped after a settlement had been reached.