Russian Man Sentenced for Burning Koran Faces Treason Charges, Reports Reuters

Moscow – A Russian man, who was sentenced in February for burning a copy of the Koran, has now been charged with treason. Prosecutors allege that Nikita Zhuravel, 20, provided Ukraine with video footage of military movements, including images of a freight train transporting warplanes and details regarding the movements of a vehicle associated with a Russian military base.

According to statements from Russia’s prosecutor general’s office, Zhuravel reportedly volunteered to share this information with a Ukrainian intelligence officer. Currently, there is no information available regarding legal representation for Zhuravel in this treason case.

Zhuravel is serving a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence for publicly burning the Koran in his hometown of Volgograd, having been convicted under Russia’s laws concerning offenses against religious sentiments.

His situation gained international attention last year when Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov released a video showing his son Adam assaulting Zhuravel while he was in custody. Russian authorities had previously transferred Zhuravel’s case to Chechnya, reportedly in response to numerous requests from residents of the predominantly Muslim region who sought to be recognized as victims in the case.