Nikita Zhuravel, a resident of Volgograd who was previously convicted of burning the Quran, is now facing new charges as a suspect in a case of state treason. The General Prosecutor’s Office of Russia has reported that he is being accused under Article 275 of the Criminal Code.
It is alleged that in March 2023, Zhuravel offered his services to a Ukrainian intelligence representative. He supposedly shared videos via messenger depicting Russian military equipment on trains, military aircraft, and information about the movements of military vehicles.
The indictment has been approved by the Volgograd Region Prosecutor’s Office and the case has been forwarded to the Volgograd Regional Court for further proceedings.
Last year, at the age of 19, Nikita Zhuravel was arrested after a video surfaced online showing him burning the Quran at a mosque in Volgograd. He was initially charged with offending religious sentiments but later transferred to Chechnya for trial.
During his time in pre-trial detention in Grozny, reports emerged that Zhuravel was assaulted by Adam Kadyrov, son of Ramzan Kadyrov. In February this year, he was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison by a Chechen court.
The Investigative Committee stated that Zhuravel confessed during questioning to burning the Quran at the behest of Ukrainian intelligence for monetary gain and also admitted to filming military installations.
Original source: theins.ru