Chechen leader says his teenage son beat Ukrainian prisoner

In what he said was a response to online speculation, the leader of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, has posted a video on Telegram which he said showed his 15-year-old son beating a prisoner, and saying that he “did the right thing.” Kadyrov said the victim of the assault seen in the video was Nikita Zhuravel, a Ukrainian national whom he called a “burner of the Holy Quran” and “an accomplice of the Ukrainian special services.” Russian authorities reported Zhuravel’s arrest in May. The incident in the video dates back to August, according to Russian ombudswoman Tatyana Moskalkova. On August 16, RFE said, Moskalkova wrote in a post on Telegram that Zhuravel “a man jailed in Chechnya for allegedly burning a copy of the Koran … had complained that Adam Kadyrov had visited his cell and beaten him.” Chechen ombudsman Mansur Soltayev subsequently visited Zhuravel in prison, RFE said, where he said the prisoner alleged “Adam had beaten his arms and legs after the elder Kadyrov had left the cell.” Ramzan Kadyrov, in his Telegram post of the video, said the “internet is still arguing about the fact that Adam Kadyrov beat the burner of the Holy Quran.” He then affirmed, “He beat [the man] and did the right thing.” Kadyrov continued: “Without exaggeration, yes, I am proud of Adam’s action. He was always distinguished by the desire to grow not among his peers, but among older ones, thanks to which he formed adult ideals of honor, dignity, and defense of his religion. I respect his choice.” The Sun newspaper brings you the latest breaking news videos and explainers from the UK and around the world Become a Sun Subscriber and hit the bell to be the first to know Read The Sun: Like The Sun on Facebook: Follow The Sun on Twitter: Subscribe to The Sun on Snapchat: #ukraine #ukrainenews #ukrainewar #russia