Zhuravel Nikita Sergeevich

In Volgograd, a criminal case for treason was opened against Nikita Zhuravel, a 20-year-old man serving a sentence in a case of insulting the feelings of believers. According to the investigation, Zhuravel proactively offered cooperation to a representative of the Ukrainian security service through a messenger. In March 2023, he sent him video recordings of a railway train transporting military equipment of the RF Armed Forces, military aircraft, as well as data on the movement of a service vehicle of one of the military units. On November 27, 2024, the Volgograd Regional Court found Nikita Zhuravel guilty and sentenced him to 13.5 years in prison. For the totality of crimes, by partially combining the terms with the previous sentence, the court imposed a final punishment on Zhuravel in the form of deprivation of liberty for a term of 14 years to be served in a strict regime correctional colony, followed by a restriction of liberty for a period of 1 year. On April 8, 2025, the Third Appellate Court of General Jurisdiction upheld the sentence. On May 20, 2023, in Volgograd, a 19-year-old local resident Nikita Zhuravel was detained. According to the security forces' version, Zhuravel no later than May 19, 2023, while in the area of the Cathedral Mosque located on Povorinskaya Street, burned the Quran. At the same time, he recorded his actions on video, which was subsequently published in the public domain on an Internet portal controlled by the CIPSO of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. During the interrogation, Zhuravel allegedly gave testimony that he carried out the specified action on the instructions of the Ukrainian special services for a reward of 10 thousand." rubles. Nikita also reported his involvement in 'other aiding and abetting - video recording of military facilities.' "The Investigative Committee of Russia for the Volgograd region opened a criminal case against Zhuravely regarding the offense of insulting the religious feelings of believers committed in places of worship." Later, hooliganism on the grounds of religious hatred committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy was added to the charges. 21 May, by decision of the Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia, the case was transferred for further investigation to the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Chechen Republic. Law enforcement officers motivated this decision by the "numerous appeals" of the republic's residents with a request to "recognize them as victims." "On May 22, the Central District Court of Volgograd, at the request of the investigation, chose Nikita Zhuravely a measure of restraint in the form of detention." On May 26, Zhuravel was transferred to Grozny. On September 25, 2023, the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, published a video on his Telegram channel showing his son Adam Kadyrov beating Nikita Zhuravel. Ramzan Kadyrov wrote in this regard: "He beat him and did the right thing. Moreover, I believe that anyone who attacks any Sacred Scripture, including demonstratively burning it, thereby insulting tens of millions of citizens of our large country, should face severe punishment, - and added that he is proud of his son's actions. After that, Adam Kadyrov began to receive awards from various Russian regions. Ramzan Kadyrov explained such activity in awarding his son by the fact that those who presented the awards "are sick for their religion. On February 27, 2024, Judge Ruslan Dandaev of the Visaitovsky District Court of Grozny, Chechen Republic, found Nikita Zhuravel guilty and sentenced him to three years and six months in prison in a general regime colony. The verdict was not appealed and entered into legal force.