A citizen of Chechnya, Russia was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for burning a copy of the holy Quran in front of a Mosque in 2023, Russian news agency Sputnik reported on Tuesday.

An investigation into the case found that 19-year-old Nikita Zhuravel committed the criminal act in return for money provided by the Ukrainian special services, the Russian Investigative Committee found according to the outlet.

According to the committee, the suspect admitted to receiving 10,000 rubles ($125) from Ukrainian operatives as payment for arranging and documenting the burning of the Quran. Additionally, he claimed to have produced movies of Russian military installations for Ukrainians.

Zhuravel carried out the crime in the Russian city of Volgograd and was sentenced by a court in Chechnya's Grozny after local investigations, before being charged with hooliganism and insulting the feelings of believers.
 
A judge found Zhuravel "guilty ... by partial addition of sentences," and imposed "a sentence of three years and six months of imprisonment in a general regime colony." 

Zhuravel pleaded guilty to the burning of the holy Muslim book, but not the other charges.

‼️🇷🇺 1/2 Nikita Zhuravel, accused of burning the #Koran, was sentenced to 3.5 years in a general regime colony.

19-year-old Zhuravel was detained in May 2023.

He was accused under two articles - “insulting the feelings of believers” and “hooliganism”. #Russia pic.twitter.com/e70RAK6Q7Y

— Maimunka News (@MaimunkaNews) February 27, 2024

Sacred for Muslims and should be for others

Last year, several European countries witnessed incidents of Quran burning, sparking global outrage. The most notable incidents were recorded in Sweden and Denmark, both of which approved the burnings under the pretext of "freedom of speech and expression." But following the public backlash, both states outlawed the acts.

Following Zhuravel's burning of the Muslim holy book, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a public address on the issue, vowing constitutional legal action against any individual or entity that attempts to desecrate the sacred book. 

“In our country, this is a crime both according to the Constitution and the penal code,” he said as he held a copy of the holy book gifted to him during a visit to the historic mosque of Derbent, where he met Muslim representatives from Dagestan.

“The Quran is sacred for Muslims and should be sacred for others,” he added. “We will always abide by these rules.”