Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the desecration of the Holy Quran is a crime in Russia, in contrast to some other countries where it is not penalized.
During his visit to Derbent in the Dagestan Autonomous Republic, Putin visited the historical mosque and met with Muslim representatives.
He received a copy of the Holy Quran as a gift and expressed gratitude, emphasizing the sacredness of the Quran for Muslims and the commitment to respecting its sanctity.
The President’s statement followed an incident in which an individual tore up and burned a copy of the Holy Quran outside a mosque in Stockholm, Sweden.
The man was subsequently charged with agitation against an ethnic or national group. Anti-Islam protests in Sweden have sparked outrage in the Muslim world, including Turkey, where the Foreign Minister condemned such demonstrations in the name of freedom of expression.
This is not the first time Russia has expressed its condemnation of Quran burnings. In a previous incident in Sweden, the Russian Foreign Ministry denounced the act as an Islamophobic provocation that triggered a strong reaction in the Islamic world and among the Russian Muslim community.
Putin’s declaration reaffirms Russia’s stance on protecting religious sensitivities and treating the desecration of the Holy Quran as a punishable offense under both the country’s Constitution and penal code.
