Russian leader proposes felony charged persons ‘freedom’ by enlisting in military
Date
10/3/2024 8:40:04 AM
(MENAFN) Russians facing felony charges who voluntarily enlist in the military under certain circumstances can now avoid trial and potential imprisonment, following two amendments signed into law by President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.
The changes stipulate that defendants called up for military service during mobilization, or those who voluntarily enlist during wartime, may have criminal proceedings against them suspended, and could be released from jail or placed under house arrest.
Amendments to Article 238 of the procedural code now include military service through conscription or enlistment (“contract”) during mobilization, martial law, or wartime as grounds to suspend or terminate criminal prosecution.
While criminal charges in Russia once almost guaranteed a conviction, this trend has shifted in recent years, with about 20 percent of cases ending in acquittal as of 2023.
One of the bill's authors, Andrey Kartapolov, chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee and retired general, argued that the law gives people who have committed a “socially dangerous act” an opportunity to atone for their actions by serving their country. The Duma passed the bill on September 24, with the Federation Council approving it the following day.
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