Nikita Zhuravel, a resident of Volgograd currently held in the Grozny pre-trial detention center under charges of burning the Koran, has claimed that he was physically assaulted by Adam Kadyrov, a son of Chechen leader. Zhuravel’s complaint was reported by ombudswoman Tatyana Moskalkova on her Telegram channel on August 16.
Tatyana Moskalkova has received a complaint from Volgograd resident Nikita Zhuravel. He is held in the Grozny pre-trial detention center on charges of burning the Koran. Zhuravel claims that he was physically assaulted by Adam Kadyrov, a son of the head of Chechnya.
The ombudswoman has reached out to Mansur Soltayev, the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Chechen Republic, asking him to examine medical records of the alleged physical assault and gather testimony from witnesses.
Nikita Zhuravel was taken into custody on May 20 following accusations of setting fire to the Koran near a mosque in Volgograd, something he allegedly did at the request of Ukrainian security services. He has been charged under the law for insulting the religious sentiments of believers. If found guilty, Zhuravel could face a sentence of up to three years in a penal colony, coupled with a restriction of freedom for up to a year.
Zhuravel's case was transferred to Chechnya under a personal directive from Alexander Bastrykin, the head of the Investigative Committee. Chechen minister Akhmed Dudayev called this decision a gesture of respect to the Muslim community. Human rights advocates have raised concerns over the legality of the transfer, saying that Zhuravel might be subjected to torture while under Chechen jurisdiction.
