Russia: Nikita Zhuravel Sentenced to 14 Years

Nikita Zhuravel, already convicted of burning a Quran near a Grozny mosque, has been found guilty of treason, Orda.kz reports, citing Novosti Volgograda.

The Volgograd Regional Court handed down the sentence. Nikita Zhuravel received 13.5 years, 14 years cumulatively, with the previously assigned term of 3.5 years for burning the Quran. 

After his release, he will face one year of restricted freedom.

Novosti Volgograda reports that the investigation established that Zhuravel, expressing his disagreement with the political course of the Russian Federation and its war against Ukraine, began cooperating with an agent of the Ukrainian special services in the spring of 2023. 

The defendant carried out tasks that threatened the security of the Russian Federation on the supposed agent's instructions.

The court hearing was closed. Zhuravel reportedly pleaded guilty.

The sentence can be appealed to the court of appeal.

Original Author: Oksana Matvienko