Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[KavkazUzel] A classmate of Nikita Zhuravel stated in testimony to the court that he did not ask[KavkazUzel] the defendant about his attitude to Islam and does not know on whose instructions Zhuravel burned the Koran. The saleswoman of the store where this book was purchased could not identify Zhuravel.
As the "Caucasian Knot" wrote, hearings in the case of Nikita Zhuravel were repeatedly postponed for various reasons, including due to the failure of the victims to appear. Imams from Chechnya, who are victims in the case of Nikita Zhuravel, stated at meetings on December 12 and 20, 2023 that the burning of the Koran insulted them and all Muslims.
On November 2, 2023, the court in Grozny began to consider the case of Volgograd resident Nikita Zhuravel, accused in the case of burning the Koran. He is accused of violating the right to freedom of conscience and religion and hooliganism. On October 13, 2023, in court, Zhuravel apologized to Muslims for his action, but admitted guilt only in the very fact of burning the Koran, saying that he had no motive for gross violation of public order. You can read more about the Zhuravel case in the Caucasian Knot information “ The beating of Nikita Zhuravel: why did Kadyrov’s men need to publish the video.”
At today's hearing in the Visaitovsky Court of Grozny in the case of Nikita Zhuravel, the testimony of two prosecution witnesses was read out, the Chechnya Today agency reported.
Zhuravel’s classmate Nikita Kuznetsov said in his testimony that he “did not ask” the defendant about his attitude towards Islam. “He worked as a courier. He said that he did not support the special military operation (SVO) due to the fact that he was a native of Crimea, which was previously part of Ukraine. From Nikita’s words, I knew that his parents live in Crimea. That he plans to burn the Koran along with the video and distribute it on the Internet, he never told me,” Kuznetsov’s testimony states.
He also noted that he was “shocked” by what he saw in the video recording of the burning of the Koran. “I don’t know who ordered him to burn the Koran. Who paid for his action […] I don’t know,” the agency quoted Kuznetsov as saying.
An employee of the Read the City store, Irina Sivalapova, said that she would not be able to identify Zhuravel, since the store was always crowded with people. “On April 23, 2023, I sold the book Koran worth 775 rubles, as it later turned out from law enforcement officers, the buyer of the book was a resident of the city of Volgograd, Nikita Sergeevich Zhuravel,” her words are quoted in the publication.
The court adjourned the hearing to January 29. It is expected that Zhuravel will testify at this meeting, TASS reported today.
Let us remind you that 19-year-old Nikita Zhuravel was detained in Volgograd on May 20, 2023. According to investigators, he “on instructions from the SBU” set fire to the Koran and filmed it for a promised reward of 10 thousand rubles. The Chairman of the Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, transferred the Zhuravel case to Chechnya, responding to the demands of the residents of the republic, who considered themselves the injured party. On May 27, 2023, Zhuravel was taken to the Grozny pre-trial detention center. Vladimir Putin announced on June 13, 2023 that Zhuravel would serve his sentence in one of the Muslim regions.
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