Members of the Human Rights Council asked the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation to explain on what grounds prisoners with unserved sentences are sent to war

Six members of the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation asked the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation Igor Krasnov to explain on what grounds prisoners with unserved sentences are being sent to Ukraine to participate in a “special military operation.”

The request states that information about sending prisoners to war was disseminated , among other things, by the TV channel "Russia-1". Among the prisoners who left the colonies are people convicted of serious crimes.

Human rights activists note that a prisoner who has not served his sentence may be released on the basis of a presidential decree on pardon, an amnesty by a State Duma resolution, or a court decision on parole.

In connection with the above, we ask you to clarify on what basis the said persons are released from serving their sentences, if this information is true?

The request was signed by Alexander Verkhovsky, Natalia Evdokimova, Igor Kalyapin, Eva Merkacheva, Vladimir Ryakhovsky and Nikolai Svanidze. The text was published on the website of the Human Rights Council of St. Petersburg.

• The fact that Russian prisoners are being recruited to fight in the war in Ukraine is known from numerous media reports. There is also unconfirmed information about the forced dispatch of convicts to war. The prisoners are promised pardons and cash payments.
• The recruitment of prisoners is also personally carried out by businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, who is associated with the Wagner PMC ( a corresponding video was distributed in September). Prigozhin himself, without directly confirming this, addressed the dissatisfied with the words that "either the PMC and prisoners, or your children" will participate in the war.