Case of Zhuravel, who burned down Koran, evidences voluntary law interpreting

The treason case of Nikita Zhuravel is being considered at the place where the alleged crime was committed, although the case of burning the Koran was transferred from Volgograd to Chechnya. The voluntary nature of Zhuravel's testimonies ontreason remains in question, but the closed nature of the trial does not allow his statements to be heard.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on February 27, 2024, a court in Grozny sentenced Zhuravel to 3.5 years in colony, finding him guilty of violating the right to religion and of hooliganism. On October 3, the Russian General Prosecutor's Office (GPO) announced the initiation of a new treason case. According to investigators, Zhuravel offered cooperation to an agent of the Ukrainian security service and sent him a video showing the military equipment of the Russian Armed Forces.

"Only the court ruling will be announced publicly. All the cases under this article are held behind closed doors. This is a requirement of the law," Evgeny Smirnov, an advocate, has explained.

According to his story, the charges against Zhuravel are based on the fact of transferring data to an agent of a foreign intelligence service.

The treason charges were a matter of time after Zhuravel's confession about his ties with Ukrainian special services, says Svetlana Gannushkina*, the head of the "Civic Assistance"Committee*. According to her story, closed court sessions fail to provide any opportunity to learn some important case details.

According to Ms Gannushkina*, authorities are too zealous in its desire to punish Zhuravel. "It is, of course, bad to burn the Korandown, but everything that has happened to Zhuravel since then is even worse; not only for him, but also for interrelations of Muslims with non-Muslims. Any faith needs no protection of this kind," she has concluded.