Original article (in Albanian) was published on 04/12/2024; Author: Pustina Patris
Claim: Russia sentenced a young man to 14 years in prison for the public burning of the Quran
Verdict: Context lacking
On Albanian-speaking social media, reports are circulating that a Russian man has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for publicly burning the Quran.
Although Zhuravel was found guilty of burning the religious book, the verdict for that incident was issued in February, with a sentence of 3.5 years in prison. He had been serving that sentence for several months when Russian prosecutors charged him with treason.
The Volgograd court subsequently sentenced him to 14 years for high treason. In October, Zhuravel was accused of recording a freight train carrying military equipment and fighter jets, then sending the footage to Ukrainian intelligence services.
This charge came months after his initial conviction for violating religious freedom laws and hooliganism in connection with the Quran burning. He was arrested by authorities in May 2023.
While in detention that August, Zhuravel was assaulted by the 15-year-old son of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. Kadyrov publicly supported his son’s actions, stating that it would have been better if his son had killed Zhuravel.
Adam Kadyrov was later honored with the title ‘Hero of the Chechen Republic,’ the highest recognition in the region, and received further praise from several Russian regions.
The human rights organization Memorial has recognized Zhuravel as a political prisoner, casting doubt on the charges of burning the Quran and criticizing his transfer from Volgograd to Chechnya, a region predominantly Muslim, for investigation and trial.
The organization has also condemned the violence Zhuravel endured in detention as a serious legal violation.
