On Monday, a Russian court sent Russian student Nikita Žuravel to prison for 14 years, convicted of treason, which he allegedly committed by spying for Ukraine. TASR informs about it according to AP and AFP agencies.
The Volgograd court said in its verdict that 20-year-old Žuravel “did not agree with the political course of the Russian Federation” and conducted online correspondence with a representative of the Ukrainian secret services, for whom he performed certain unspecified tasks.
Zuravel was beaten in prison by the son of the Chechen leader
Žuravel is currently serving another prison sentence, a 3.5-year sentence imposed on him in February for burning a Koran in front of a mosque in the city of Volgograd. In connection with this case, he was arrested in May 2023. Subsequently, he was sent to predominantly Muslim Chechnya, which AFP describes as an unprecedented step, where he was then sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for “insulting the feelings of believers”. He was then beaten in custody by the 15-year-old son of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov – Adam.
The video of the battle was published by Ramzan Kadyrov himself on the Telegram platform with the accompanying comment that his son did the right thing and that he was proud of him, but for which he also earned widespread public outrage. Adam Kadyrov was not punished for beating a prisoner, nor was he – as a minor – prosecuted.
In October, the Russian authorities subsequently announced a new charge of treason against Žuravel, regarding his alleged espionage for Ukraine, and transported him back to Volgograd for a new trial. Prosecutors alleged that Zhuravel filmed Russian trains with military equipment in 2023 and sent the video to an official of the Ukrainian secret service.
The Volgograd court has now imposed a 13.5-year sentence on him for treason. However, after taking into account his previous sentence from Chechnya, the judge imposed a summary sentence of 14 years in prison, writes AFP.
Human rights activists, including the Memorial organization, call Žuravel a political prisoner. Memorial condemned the burning of the Koran, but at the same time pointed out that there is actually no evidence that this young man really committed it.
Before his arrest, Žuravel studied in Volgograd, but he comes from Sevastopol in the annexed Crimea.
