Nikita Zhuravel, convicted of burning the Koran, was also sentenced for treason
A court in Volgograd sentenced 20-year-old student Nikita Zhuravel to 13.5 years in prison on charges of treason. He was also previously convicted of burning the Koran and was held in a pretrial detention center in Chechnya.
 
The 19-year-old was detained in May 2023 in Volgograd for burning the Koran, which he filmed on video. He then admitted that he did it for money, commissioned by the Ukrainian special services. The guy was transferred to the pretrial detention center in Grozny, and later he was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison. At the end of September 2023, the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, published a video in which his 16-year-old son Adam beats Nikita Zhuravel in a pretrial detention center.
 
Later, the Russian Prosecutor General's Office reported the initiation of a new criminal case against Zhuravel - for treason. According to investigators, the young man also gave Ukrainian security forces photographs of a train carrying military equipment. Under the new sentence, Zhuravel received 13.5 years in a maximum security prison colony.
Последние новости
Memorial plaque to Anna Politkovskaya installed yesterday destroyed today
Society
Memorial plaque to Anna Politkovskaya installed yesterday destroyed today
8 October 2026

A makeshift memorial dedicated to journalist Anna Politkovskaya has been destroyed outside the Moscow building on Lesnaya Street where she lived and was killed. The memorial had appeared the previous day, on the 20th anniversary of her murder.

«Срок одного становится сроком для всех»: крымский татарин рассказал о семьях политзаключенных
Human rights
«Срок одного становится сроком для всех»: крымский татарин рассказал о семьях политзаключенных
8 October 2026

Политзаключенный из Крыма Абдулмеджит Сейтумеров в письме из российской тюрьмы рассказал о том, как меняется жизнь семей крымских татар, приговоренных к длительному заключению. Послание опубликовала в Facebook его жена Амина Сейтумерова.

European Parliament Approves Resolution Against Ban on Opposition Parties in Georgia
Politics
European Parliament Approves Resolution Against Ban on Opposition Parties in Georgia
8 October 2026

On October 8, the European Parliament adopted a resolution regarding attempts by Georgia's ruling party to secure a ban on opposition parties in the country. The document was supported by 445 MEPs, with 37 voting against. The resolution was drafted following a debate on the situation in Georgia held the previous day.

Armenia Postpones Choice of New NPP Until 2027; Russian Project Among Options
Economy
Armenia Postpones Choice of New NPP Until 2027; Russian Project Among Options
8 October 2026

Armenia plans to select a model for its new nuclear power plant in the first half of 2027. A Russian proposal remains among the options under consideration, said Davit Khudatyan, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, in an interview with Public Television of Armenia.