Russia: “Green light” for the recruitment of people convicted of serious crimes in the war with Ukraine

The State Duma (lower house) approved in its third and final reading a law, which lifted the ban on the conscription of citizens convicted of serious crimes.

The Russian criminal code defines a felony as a crime punishable by more than five years in prison. In this way, MPs allow those who have recently served a prison sentence to be sent to war, including those convicted of robbery and drug trafficking.

The new law includes people who were released less than eight years ago (for “serious crimes”) or less than ten years (for “particularly serious crimes”).

Until now, the conscription law announced by President Vladimir Putin in September prohibited the recruitment of such ex-prisoners.

From now on, only those convicted of pederasty, hostage-taking or bombing, trafficking in radioactive materials, espionage or high treason will be barred from conscription under the amendments passed today by the lower house of the Russian parliament.

MPs also passed a law today regulating the status of volunteers who are supposed to “assist the armed forces” during armed conflicts or counter-terrorism operations, both inside and outside the country’s borders.

At the same time, those who have been convicted of serious crimes against military service committed during the period of conscription, such as desertion and disobedience to orders, can be drafted and called up to fight after serving their sentence or if they have a suspended sentence.

According to human rights activists, conscription offices since conscription began have already recruited people convicted of serious crimes, thus violating the ban that was lifted today by the State Duma.

The recruitment of prisoners in the Russian penal colonies was initially handled by the private military company Wagner, and as soon as the recruitment was announced, as the website Vaznie istorii (“important stories”) wrote, the Ministry of Defense also began recruiting prisoners.

Convicts who agree to take part in the hostilities must remain on the front lines for six months, they are forbidden to retreat or surrender under threat of execution. Those who remain alive after six months are promised a pardon. In September, the website wrote that the private company Wagner had recruited almost six thousand prisoners in this way.

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