In the heart of Russia's Buddhist region of Kalmykia, Russian wrestler Said Osmanov kicked a statue of Buddha in the face and urinated on it while broadcasting live on the Periscope app. The incident happened inside a Buddhist temple in the capital Elista where the wrestler was staying for a tournament.Word quickly spread causing outraged locals to descend on Osmanov’s hotel and forcing him out into the street. The wrestler was forced to his knees by the angry crowd who made him apologize. Once police arrived at the scene they took him into custody.
The wrestling tournament was suspended following his arrest.
Dagestan's leader, Abdusamadov Gamidov, flew to Kalmykia to personally apologize for the behavior of his countryman. In a joint statement with Kalmykia's governor Alexey Orlov, the two condemned the act and said that the wrestler will be criminally prosecuted.
Orlov said Osamnov committed "an unprecedented, blatant act of vandalism against our national, religious shrines," and added that people "who commit such actions do not have a nationality."
They do have a religion, though.