Russian Teen Who Publicly Burned Koran Appears In Chechen Court With Bruised Face

Nikita Zhuravel in court on October 13 with what appears to be bruising on his face.

Nikita Zhuravel, who publicly burned a Koran in the Russian city of Volgograd, appeared in court in the North Caucasus region of Chechnya on October 13 with what appeared to be bruises on his face as his trial started. The proceedings were delayed for four days after he was not brought to the courtroom for unspecified reasons. On the first day of his trial, Zhuravel, 19, who was arrested in May on a charge of "insulting believers' feelings," offered his apologies to Muslims. The court extended his detention until April 20, 2024 and adjourned the trial until October 24. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Caucasus.Realities, click here.