Lawyers and rights defenders argue about consequences of Zhuravel's apology

Nikita Zhuravel's apology to Muslims for burning the Koran will not affect the verdict, the lawyers, Galina Tarasova and Olga Skripkina, have noted. In their turn, the human rights defenders, Oyub Titiev and Svetlana Gannushkina*, have objected, believing that after Zhuravel's apology, the court may pass him a lenient sentence, if Chechen authorities would like it.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on November 2, the court interrogated two witnesses; Zhuravel himself asked Muslims to forgive him for his act.

Usually, a defendant's apology can mitigate the sentence, but not in the case of a trial conducted in Chechnya, Galina Tarasova, a lawyer, believes. "Given the resonance of the criminal case, the trial held in Chechnya and Chechen authorities' attitude thereto, one can expect that the punishment will be close to the maximum," she has stated.

Olga Skripkina, her colleague, also believes that Zhuravel's apology most likely will not affect the verdict.

The participation in the trial of 13 Imams of Grozny mosques as the suffered party is an unusual phenomenon in judicial practice, Ms Tarasova has pointed out. "We can predict an exemplary trial of the case of insulting believers' feelings," she said.

Oyub Titiev, a human rights defender, believes that Zhuravel's apology could be both the result of pressure and sincere repentance. He is confident that Zhuravel's verdict will directly depend on the wishes of Chechen leadership, and not on the court.

Svetlana Gannushkina*, the chair of the "Civic Assistance" Committee*, also believes that the court's verdict will be affected by the moods in the leadership of Chechnya, which will define the punishment for Zhuravel.

*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.