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For a year and a half, Russia has been using convicted criminals to supplement its military forces in Ukraine. Russian lawmakers have proposed further expansion of the recruitment process despite the fact that many pardoned criminals have returned from the war and committed further crimes, including murder and rape.
On Tuesday, the State Duma voted to pass a bill sponsored by members of the ruling United Russia party that seeks to amend Law No. 270-FZ of 2023. Current law offers amnesty to those who took part in what Russian President Vladimir Putin called “special military operations,” but currently only applies to those suspected of or convicted of crimes committed before June 2023.
Pavel Krasheninnikov, a senior member of the Duma, praised the amendment, saying, “The revised legislation will allow anyone who has been charged, is under investigation, is on trial or has been sentenced to Feel free to sign military contracts.”
Independent media outlet Vertska quoted an unnamed Russian lawmaker as saying the legislation was intended to “increase the appeal of military service” by showing “that the state is willing to forgive some criminals in order to achieve military success.”
“It’s time for a change of moral priorities so that petty criminals can seek mercy from the state in exchange for courage,” the source said.
He added that it was no coincidence that the bill appeared just as Russia’s presidential elections were approaching, explaining that the initiative was aimed at “creating a positive emotional background” for Moscow’s soldiers.
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Another subtle change is that going forward, any criminal cases for those recruited to fight will be suspended, or those found guilty will have their sentences commuted to probation while serving time.Their criminal record will only be
were removed and pardoned only if they performed well and received national awards.
Krasheninnikov said the amendments would replace existing laws and allow the recruitment of future suspects or criminals. The future list of pardonable offenses will not include serious crimes such as treason, espionage, terrorism and sexual offences.
The bill still needs to be approved by Russia’s upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, and signed by President Putin before it can become law.
Although the Russian Defense Ministry took over prison recruitment early last year, the recruitment of prisoners for the war in Ukraine in 2022 was spearheaded by the Wagner mercenary group.
Shortly after the original law was enacted, Putin said he personally pardoned prisoners who agreed to fight in Ukraine, claiming that the recidivism rate could be as high as 40% among those who served their sentences and returned to normal lives. Among criminals, the recidivism rate may be as high as 40%. The relapse rate for participants in “Special Military Operations” is very small, about 0.4%.
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