Contractors and mobilized workers were exempted from criminal liability

The State Duma adopted in the second and third readings two bills exempting contract workers and mobilized workers from criminal liability. This was reported on the website of the lower house of parliament.

We are talking about contract soldiers and conscripts who have committed crimes of minor or moderate gravity before or during military service. They will be able to be released from criminal liability on the day of being awarded a state award received during service, or on the day of dismissal. At the same time, the effect of the bill will not apply to those accused under articles of violation of the sexual integrity of minors.

One of the adopted documents also stipulates that when concluding a contract with the Ministry of Defense, prisoners will be released from punishment on conditional basis. Control over them was entrusted to the command of the military unit. If such a person commits a crime again during his service, the court will sentence him to a cumulative sentence. Ex-prisoners will be able to pay off criminal liability on the day they are given a state award for service or on the day of dismissal, if it took place upon reaching the age limit, due to the end of mobilization or for health reasons.

The bill also lists articles under which convicts will not be able to sign a contract for military service. These include articles on extremism, terrorism, sabotage, calls for violation of territorial integrity, treason, hostage-taking and cooperation with an “undesirable” organization.

The authors of the adopted documents were the head of the State Duma Committee on Defense Andrei Kartapolov, the Chairman of the Federation Council on Constitutional Legislation Andrei Klishas and the head of the State Duma Committee on State Construction and Legislation Pavel Krasheninnikov.

In January, the BBC Russian Service found that prisoners recruited for the war could no longer return home after six months spent at the front. Starting in the fall of 2023, they will be released from the colonies on the condition that they fight until the end of the war.

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