Ukrainian assaulted by Chechen leader's son sentenced to prison in Russia

A court in the Russian city of Grozny has sentenced Ukrainian Mykyta Zhuravel, assaulted by  Ramzan Kadyrov’s son for burning the Quran, to three and a half years in prison.

Source: Radio Liberty, citing Sota Telegram channel; BBC Russian Service

Details: Criminal charges were brought against Zhuravel under Article 148.2 and Article 213.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for insulting the feelings of religious believers and hooliganism.

Background: 

• Mykyta Zhuravel, 19, was arrested in May 2023. A case was opened against him after he posted a video on the internet showing the burning of the Quran near a mosque in Volgograd.
• By the personal order of Aleksandr Bastrykin, Chief of the Russian Investigative Committee, and despite protests from human rights activists, the young man was transported to Chechnya.
• Later, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov posted a video showing his son Adam beating Mykyta Zhuravel. Kadyrov said he was proud of his son's actions.
• Later, Kadyrov stated that it would have been "good" if his son had killed Zhuravel. He saw no reason to punish his son. 
• Zhuravel apologised to Muslims and pleaded guilty to burning a sacred book.
• The Russian Investigative Committee claimed that during one of the interrogations, Zhuravel testified that he burned the Quran, supposedly on the instructions of Ukrainian intelligence, for a reward of RUB 10,000 (approximately US$108).

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