Just recently, we reported that Nikita Zhuravel had disappeared, a case that drew public attention after a video showed him being beaten in a Chechen prison by Adam Kadyrov, the son of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.
Nikita Zhuravel, who had gone missing in Chechnya during his trial for burning the Quran, has been found in a penal colony in Ulyanovsk. This was reported on Tuesday by human rights activist Eva Merkacheva, citing the prisoner’s mother. The colony number was not disclosed, according to Mediazona.
Activist Eva Merkacheva wrote on her Telegram channel:
Nikita Zhuravel has been found.
He wrote a touching letter to his mother. He is in a penal colony in the Ulyanovsk region.
He says he is alive and well. He writes that about a month ago he sent a paper letter home and hopes it was received (it was not). The letter is dated March 26, 2026.“We are so happy to have at least some news about our son,” his mother said.
The delivery of paper letters from penal colonies is a problem. I recently received a letter sent on December 25. In it, the prisoner wished me a Happy New Year 🎄. The letter arrived exactly three months later.
The only solution is email. However, not all penal colonies have access to it.
