Putin signs law permitting criminal defendants to enlist in military

On October 2, President Putin signed a law allowing criminal defendants to avoid liability by joining the Russian army, according to Russia's legal information portal.

The Russian government wants to conscript 40% of the nearly 60,000 prisoners who are currently held in pre-trial detention centers, according to the independent Russian news outlet IStories.

A source told Istories that about 100 people from each Russian detention center are planned to be sent to the war in Ukraine. There are currently 210 pre-trial detention centers in Russia, so about 20,000 people may be sent to serve, the media outlet said.

The law allows military service for defendants whose cases are pending in a court of first instance during mobilization or wartime. Another law signed by Putin allows for the release from criminal liability of defendants who have previously been mobilized or who have signed a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry.

News.Az