accused of burning the Koran must be transferred from Grozny – Kommersant

Member of the Presidential Council for Human Rights (HRC) Eva Merkacheva offered to transfer Nikita Zhuravel, who is being held in the pre-trial detention center in Grozny, who is accused of burning the Koran, to another region. She made such a proposal after reports that Nikita Zhuravel could have been beaten right in the pre-trial detention center by the son of the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, Adam.

“For security reasons, I ask you to urgently transfer Nikita Zhuravel to an institution of the Federal Penitentiary Service of another region. I also ask you to check on what basis, during the period of detention, persons who are not related to the investigation and who, by law, do not enjoy the right to communicate with those under investigation, gained access to it,”— wrote Mrs. Merkacheva in her address to the Director of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia Arkady Gostev.

According to the human rights activist, public statements Chechen politicians (Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic Magomed Daudov and State Duma Deputy from Chechnya Adam Delimkhanov) testify that Nikita Zhuravel was indeed beaten in a pre-trial detention center. Adam Delimkhanov previously stated that the son of Ramzan Kadyrov “has a sense of justice since childhood and is an excellent example for his peers.” According to him, Adam Kadyrov’s actions are “absolutely justified and correct,” and if someone does not agree with this, then Mr. Delimkhanov “is ready to discuss this and prove the opposite.” Mr. Daudov said that Adam Kadyrov “acted like a true Muslim, a patriot of his country and a true Chechen.”

This week Nikita Zhuravel met with the head of Chechnya and after the meeting, according to the arrested person, he was beaten by Adam Kadyrov. Mr. Zhuravel complained Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation Tatyana Moskalkova. She instructed the Chechen Ombudsman Mansur Soltaev to sort it out. He assured that in Chechnya “no one can be subjected to torture and beating”, and the incident will be checked.

According to investigators, Nikita Zhuravel burned Koran in May this year in Volgograd and posted a video on social networks. The ICR opened a case under Part 2 of Art. 148 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (insulting the feelings of believers). During the interrogation, Nikita Zhuravel stated that he carried out the action “on the instructions of the Ukrainian special services for a reward of 10 thousand rubles.” The court arrested him for two months, and the case handed over to Chechnya. The young man is in a pre-trial detention center in Grozny.

Alexander Kislov