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The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, has signed a controversial new law to suspend criminal proceedings against individuals who are drafted into the army, or sign a contract with the Ministry of Defense of Russia to serve in the army.
This law allows defendants – even those who are on trial or appealing their convictions – to avoid trial by joining the Russian military.
The law represents a new step in Russia's efforts to increase its military without mass mobilization, which is a sensitive political option in the country.
By using prisoners and defendants, the Kremlin can continue to recruit soldiers while minimizing public discontent.
However, this strategy has raised concerns about human rights abuses, with reports of forced conscription, harsh prison conditions intended to encourage prisoners to join the war, and increased pressure on individuals who are awaiting trial.
The process has also been criticized, following a crime wave involving convicts returning from the front lines after completing their service duties.
Under the new law, defendants will now have the opportunity to be drafted into the military at various stages during their legal proceedings.
This includes cases where their case has been taken to court, or even during the trial process.
The law also applies to those whose sentences have not yet been finalized, so individuals who have appealed their sentences can avoid prison by joining the military.
The convict recruitment campaign was started by the mercenary group Wagner, but has now been taken over by Russia's Ministry of Defense.
According to a report by the IStories website, the Russian government plans to recruit some 24,000 defendants to serve in the war in Ukraine.
The source from the Ministry of Defense estimates that about 40 percent of the approximately 60,000 defendants in custody will likely be called up to the army.
Lawyer Dmitry Zakhvatov told IStories that the recruitment was prompted as part of an effort to avoid a new wave of "partial mobilization", which would have likely caused public criticism.
When Putin announced such a mobilization in September 2022, tens of thousands of Russian men fled the country, fearing they would be sent to the front lines.
Earlier this week, Putin signed a decree on the regular conscription of men between the ages of 18 and 30 for a year of compulsory military service.
The recruitment period began on October 1 and will continue until December 31, during which around 133,000 men are expected to join the Russian army.
While Putin initially assured the public that only contract soldiers would be sent to fight in Ukraine, reports suggest that recruits are often forced to sign contracts soon after being recruited, and are then sent to the front lines./ VOA
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