The Parliament of Russia has passed a new law allowing individuals facing prosecution to avoid trial and potential imprisonment by enlisting to fight in the war in Ukraine.
The law gives the accused the right to appeal to the courts to have charges dropped in exchange for signing a contract to join the Russian armed forces.
Pre-trial detention centres across Russia are expecting around 100 people from each facility to take up the offer, which could boost the military by approximately 20,000 soldiers overall. The decision to dismiss charges will ultimately rest with individual judges but in theory, no crimes are exempt from this arrangement.
Andrey Kartapolov, a Russian Deputy, defended a new law allowing criminally accused individuals to serve in the army to “repay their debts to society.”
This method of recruitment echoes past Russian practices, like during World War II and the Wagner Group’s recruitment in Ukraine. Critics, such as political analyst Ekaterina Schulmann, argue it threatens justice and societal stability.
Russia’s struggle for war volunteers, amid high casualties, adds urgency to this controversial move, though some pro-Kremlin figures view it as a way to protect law-abiding citizens.
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