Russian President Vladimir Putin signed this Friday (04) a law that will allow the mobilization of prisoners who have a pending sentence for serious crimes.
The document was published on the official legal information portal after receiving approval from the Lower House and Senate, and after a video emerged in which the founder of the Wagner mercenary company, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was arrested for recruiting prisoners for the military campaign in Ukraine.
Until now, citizens with a pending conviction for a serious crime were not subject to compulsory military service or mobilization.
Now, under the new By law, the crimes for which citizens with a pending sentence cannot be summoned are specific: sexual abuse of a minor, terrorist acts, hostage taking, organization of illegal armed groups and hijacking of air, sea or rail transport.
Likewise, persons who have a conviction pending for unlawful manipulation of nuclear materials and radioactive substances, by theft or extortion, shall not be subject to mobilization. Furthermore, the law shall not apply to crimes such as treason, espionage, usurpation of the life of a statesman, violent seizure of power, armed rebellion, public calling for extremist activities, incitement to hatred or enmity, as well as humiliation of human dignity.
It will also not be possible to mobilize citizens with pending convictions for attacks against persons or institutions enjoying international protection.
Putin signed another law that establishes the procedure for civil service alternative during the mobilization period, which had already been done before the announcement of this recruitment measure.
In another law enacted this Friday, the president establishes that the citizens of the voluntary formations that help the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, as well as its members, are now covered by contract military status.
According to the head of the second main department of Organization and Mobilization of the General Staff of the Forces Armed, Alexander Tulyaganov, more than 15 thousand people have volunteered since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
