Quran desecration is crime in Russia: Putin

MOSCOW

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that desecration of the Quran is not seen as a crime in some countries but it is penalized in Russia.

"In our country, this is a crime both according to the Constitution and the penal code," he said.

Putin was in Derbent in the Dagestan Autonomous Republic of the Russian Federation where he visited the historical mosque of Derbent and met Muslim representatives from Dagestan.

The Russian leader was gifted a copy of the Quran, the holy book of Muslims, as they celebrated the Eid-al-Adha Muslim holiday.

"The Quran is sacred for Muslims and should be sacred for others,” he said as he thanked the representatives for the gift. “We will always abide by these rules.”