“I cannot use violence and cannot learn violence”

How to replace the army with an alternative civilian service, despite obstacles from the military registration and enlistment office

The real and legal way for a Russian conscript not to end up in the army is through alternative civilian service. Therefore, military registration and enlistment offices often prevent conscripts from passing the ACS. “Vorstka” figured out who can help in litigation with the military registration and enlistment office.

In order not to miss new texts from “Layout”, subscribe to our telegram channel

“The fucking military registration and enlistment office became active a few days after the expulsion”

Like most men in Russia, the son of Alena Zh. from Dzerzhinsk, Savely, first encountered the military registration and enlistment office while still at school. He and his classmates were urgently invited to a medical examination in order to register boys who had reached the age of sixteen for military registration.

Alena and Savely put off communicating with the military registration and enlistment office until the last moment, but when the school threatened to not allow the student to take the final exams, he still passed the medical examination.

“My son was declared completely fit for the army. The doctors didn’t even notice his flat feet and didn’t take into account that he had one leg shorter than the other,” recalls Alena.

Having entered college, Savely received a deferment from the army, his mother says, and for some time “the military registration and enlistment office fell behind them.” But Savely quickly got tired of studying to become a lawyer.

“Our education system is terrible,” explains Alena. “Besides, he wanted to work, but he couldn’t combine it with his studies. In general, he was expelled for absences. I didn’t swear, he’s an adult, let him live as he wants!”

True, it was not possible for Savely to “live the way he wants” calmly: almost immediately after his expulsion in the fall of 2023, both he and his mother began to receive calls from the military registration and enlistment office demanding that they appear there. The first wave of mass mobilization of Russians to the Ukrainian front had already passed by that time, but there were rumors about a second wave, in addition, the RF Armed Forces were interested in contract soldiers - and it is very easy to get a contract in Russia from an “emergency”, even against your will.

“The fucking military registration and enlistment office became active within a few days. A girl from there called me and immediately started threatening me, saying that your son is so bad, he doesn’t answer the phone, he doesn’t show up when summoned. She talked to me like I was the last piece of shit, frightened me with fines for hiding from them,” Alena told Vorstka. “I turned gray during this time, paranoidly looked through the cracks in the blinds and the video intercom to see who was entering the entrance, the panic attacks returned.”

Alena read independent Russian media and knew that after the start of the war with Ukraine, conscripts were “very strongly” urged to sign contract with the Ministry of Defense . This means that Savely’s chances of getting to the front if he is called up for military service are not at all illusory, she reasoned. The mother turned to human rights activists - the “Support Service”, “Go through the Forest” and the “Call to Conscience” project.

“In the end, we decided not to hide from the military registration and enlistment office,” said Alena. — And they applied for alternative civilian service. Thank you to Appeal to Conscience for helping us with this.”

“Alternative civilian service is a sure way to avoid going to war for those who do not have a deferment”

Alternative civil service (ACS) is a full-time job with salary and vacations, to which the state sends a conscript at his request instead of serving in the army, as explained in the Call to Conscience project.

“The Ministry of Labor is constantly expanding the number of positions in which you can pass the ACS. In the list of professions from courier to veterinarian, many museums and theaters began to appear among organizations,” a project lawyer who preferred to remain anonymous told Vorstka. — The work of alternative employees is paid and regulated by labor legislation in the same way as any other. The only difference is that you can’t quit within 21 months, but you can’t be fired either. Absenteeism does not count toward service time.”

In 2023, in Russia - for the first time in the history of the existence of the institution of alternative civil service - the list of places for passing the ACS was expanded to immediately include 100 organizations in different regions of Russia. Lawyers for “Call to Conscience” believe that the expansion of the list is due precisely to the fact that after the start of the war with Ukraine, the ACS became more in demand and generally became a “noticeable state institution.”

The Ministry of Labor approved 224 professions for the ACS. “These are not only orderlies in hospitals, but also economists, teachers, legal advisers,” human rights activists told VERSTKA. “Rostrud must take into account the education, previous work experience, marital status and health status of a citizen when sending him to alternative service.”

The ACS is relevant for everyone who is subject to conscription, says the editor’s interlocutor and emphasizes: the conscription age in Russia has been increased to 30 years .

“According to the Constitution of the Russian Federation, people whose beliefs or religion are incompatible with military service have the right to AGS. This is a sure-fire way to avoid going to war for those who do not have a deferment for health or study,” a lawyer for “Call to Conscience” told Vorstka.

The ACS law does not say which beliefs give the right to alternative service.

“There is a widespread myth that only believers of certain denominations have the right to AGS,” the lawyer notes. “But in fact, even if a religious organization or its spiritual leaders support the war, its participants have the right to have different views. This follows directly from the ruling of the Constitutional Court.”

Pacifist and anti-war beliefs can be formed in a person at any time in life for a variety of reasons, not only religious, but also political, legal, moral and ethical, personal, philosophical and economic, human rights activists say. A person has the right to AGS if he has sworn an oath to another state and service in the Russian army comes into ethical conflict with it.

“Ordinary work in my hometown”

Too much physical labor or a wasted year and a half are other stereotypes about the ACS that prevent conscripts from applying for this type of service.

“For many, AGS is associated with a waste of time, with hard and unprestigious physical labor without pay. But first of all, this is not true. Secondly, it is important what to compare with,” says the project lawyer. — Twelve months in the army means total exposure to a system of militarism and violence with the risk of ending up in war if forced into a contract. Twenty-one months in alternative service is regular work, usually in your hometown, with days off and vacations.”

Many conscripts believe that AGS is simply impossible to achieve. Military registration and enlistment offices can indeed create obstacles for “alternatives,” but those who are ready to “butt heads” with the draft commission to the end will most likely achieve results, lawyers are sure.

“The key thing is that you can appeal the refusal of the draft commission to the ACS. While the trials are ongoing, you do not have the right to be drafted into the army - under Article 15 of the “Law on ACS,” says the human rights activist. — Finally, from the moment a person submits an application for the ACS, the military registration and enlistment office can only call him to a commission to review the application. A person can safely refuse all other conscription activities, appealing illegal summonses and fines if they are assigned.”

Although in the fall of 2023, conscripts were fined for failure to appear on a summons for a medical examination, it is illegal to send such a summons to a person demanding an AGS. This fine can be challenged in court and canceled.

“In general, any refusal can be challenged in court,” emphasizes “Call to Conscience.” “Even if you lose the trial, before the next conscription you will be able to reapply for the ACS, because your convictions will not change.”

According to the law, an application for AGS is submitted six months before conscription: before October 1, if conscription is expected in the spring, and before April 1, if in the fall. Missing a deadline is one of the main reasons for refusal to enroll in the ACS, but this does not mean that only the army is waiting for the conscript.

You can submit an application for AGS after the date specified in the law. “You will need to provide a reason why you missed the filing deadline. Ask the draft commission to recognize it as valid and restore the term,” explains the lawyer. “One of the reasons may be that you did not know about the right to AGS or the deadlines for filing an application, and the military registration and enlistment office did not explain these deadlines.”

To exercise the right to AGS, you need to submit an application to the military commissariat outlining your beliefs, attach an autobiography and character reference, and wait for an invitation to meetings of the draft commission. However, the law does not require the applicant to prove his views before the commission. The need for such proof is another common myth.

In order not to miss new texts from “Layout”, subscribe to our telegram channel

“I am a pacifist and do not accept force as a method of resolving conflicts”

Despite the fact that in Russia the law “On Alternative Civil Service” has been in force since 2004, few take advantage of this opportunity.

In the first half of 2023, there were 1,199 “alternative workers”; in the second half of 2023, 1,645 people served in alternative civil service in Russia. This is evidenced by the data of the Unified Interdepartmental Information and Statistical System of Rosstat. The war with Ukraine, according to the state, has not increased the number of men who undergo AGS.

“We have very few applications for AGS. Before the SVO, there were only a couple of dozen recruits per conscription in our area. This March we received 105 applications,” a source at the military registration and enlistment office of the South-Western Administrative District of Moscow told Vorstka. “But almost everyone there will be refused on formal grounds. The peak, of course, was in the spring of 2022 and after mobilization. But these are ridiculous numbers - 200 - 300 people per call. I don’t think people even know they have this option.”

Human rights activists believe that interest in the ACS is stronger among conscripts.

“There are no objective statistics that could say exactly how many people want to take the ACS. Yes, there are about 1000 satisfied applications per year. It’s just that Rostrud only receives data about those who have had their military service replaced with civilian service, explains the “Call to Conscience” project. — The military commissariat does not transmit the rest of the data to higher military registration and enlistment offices, and higher military registration and enlistment offices do not transfer it to the Ministry of Defense. That is, no one reports refusals to the ACS, but, of course, not 1,000 people a year require alternative service, but much more.”

According to the practice of human rights activists, eight out of ten conscripts face obstacles in exercising their right to alternative service.

“They are trying to send them for a medical examination instead of considering their applications for AGS. They receive ACS refusals from the draft board, and then have to appeal them in court. About half get their way to the next call-up, says an interlocutor of “Vestka” from the “Call to Conscience” project. — The second half is faced with the fact that they always have to apply for the ACS, they are denied, they go to the courts again, and from conscription to conscription they are in such a dialogue with the military registration and enlistment office. We have had cases where conscripts were denied ACS five or six times.”

The refusal to undergo the ACS is based on the military commissars’ own militaristic views, lawyers say.

“If it weren’t for this, the AGS would probably be much more accessible. But we must understand that people who apply for ACS do not join the army. They are not sent to prison. This is already a lot. Bye. Of course, right now we are in a situation of degradation of legal institutions,” the lawyer clarifies. — In Moscow, there is currently one criminal case filed against a guy who has applied for the ACS many times. He was required to undergo a medical examination, he refused, and a criminal case was opened against him. He is not in a pre-trial detention center, he only faces a fine for now, not imprisonment, he is on trial, but this is the first time in many years that the authorities have used such an instrument of pressure.”

“Call to Conscience” collects “successful” cases of passing the ACS. Thus, one of the applicants, Andrey Streltsov, completed his alternative service in the Reutov city hospital in February 2024.

The man told the draft board that he was “a pacifist and does not accept force as a method of resolving conflicts, and life and freedom are the most valuable things a person has.”

At the first draft commission, he was rejected by the ACS due to the fact that he missed the deadline for submitting an application, so he had to appeal the refusal in court. We won the trial the first time.

Six months later, he was called for a second commission and, after a satisfactory decision, he was sent for a medical examination. “I was assigned fitness category B4 - fit with restrictions,” he told human rights activists. “On the same day, they were given an order, which indicated where to report and where to perform alternative service.”

As a result, Andrei Streltsov served in a hospital near his home. “I had to clean the office space and the hallway. He did not refuse other work that was asked to be done due to the workload of the hospital. This is how we became close friends with the medical staff. We found a very good and friendly team,” he recalls. — I worked in the traumatology department. It was emotionally difficult to see people in pain every day and sometimes death in intensive care.”

Among the pleasant moments of his service, Skvortsov noted gratitude for his work and praise from patients and colleagues. “The work you do at AGS is very important,” he believes. “I realized that this is truly a special type of work in the interests of society and the state.”

“They’ll send you to the hospital to keep an eye on your grandmothers—that’s much better.”

Eighteen-year-old Savely Zh. from Dzerzhinsk does not like being commanded, so he did not want to join the army at all.

“I think that in alternative service I will be more useful,” he explained his choice to “Verstka”. - What will I do in the army? Paint the grass and walk in formation? But if there’s an alternative service, then, for example, they’ll send you to a hospital somewhere to keep an eye on your grandmothers—that’s much better: I’ll do good to people.”

Before applying for the ACS, he studied videos on YouTube and read materials from human rights activists, preparing for the fact that the draft board would reject him.

“I have seen a lot of videos where people on these commissions are insulted and humiliated when they demand AGS for themselves. But in my case, it all went very easily,” Savely said. “I thought that pressure would begin, but they only gave me a fine for not notifying the military registration and enlistment office about the expulsion and getting a job. That's it. They asked some easy questions, I didn’t even read my entire text to them.”

In the text that he prepared for the draft commission, there were, in particular, the following words.

“I cannot wear a military uniform, pick up a weapon, or train in violent warfare. I deeply believe in peaceful conflict resolution, which prevents me from using violence or being taught violence.

I believe that violence is not the only way to solve problems and that there are alternative ways based on dialogue, cooperation and mutual understanding. I want to contribute to creating a peaceful and fair social environment where differences are resolved peacefully. I grew up in a family where I was brought up with non-violent ways to solve different situations, without the use of force and aggression. It’s important to me to provide practical help and be an emotional support for those who are facing difficulties.”

According to Savely, the commission members tried to convince him: ““Do you understand that you will take out the ducks for grandmothers?” - he recalls. “But I’m okay with this, it won’t be difficult for me, it’s even nice to help them.” They tried to scare me that they would send me to Siberia - that’s where I come from.”

The chairman of the commission reminded him that the alternative service was almost twice as long as the usual one, but this did not frighten Savely.

“I understand perfectly well that during the ACS there are weekends, sick leave, and vacations,” says Savely. — If you study by correspondence, you can go to the sessions. A year and a half of alternative service is a short period of time, and the conditions are good: they will be paid, and they will have to rent housing if they are sent somewhere far from home. I’m happy with everything.”

In a conversation with Vorstka, Savely admitted that many of his acquaintances had already gone through the army, and what they said turned him away from serving in the ranks of the RF Armed Forces.

“A friend of mine recently returned from the army and said that conscripts are literally being bullied into signing a contract. Do I need this? - says Savely.

Now he is awaiting a medical examination in mid-April and assignment to the service: “If they send you far away, then my girlfriend won’t go with me yet - she will finish her studies, and then we’ll see how everything turns out.”

His mother Alena is glad that “her peace-loving and kind” son will not end up in the army, because her family already has “losses in Ukraine.”

“My son doesn’t need to support his family yet, that is, he can afford a job that doesn’t pay very well under the AGS. Plus, he’s going to enroll somewhere, because he can take the ACS and study by correspondence at the same time,” she says. “Well, it’s clear that we will help him financially if it’s difficult for him himself.”

Let us remind you that earlier “Verstka” wrote about extrajudicial killings that are hidden in the Russian army and that immediately after the elections the authorities may be preparing mobilization .

You can learn more about alternative civil service on the website of the Call to Conscience project.

Hotline for alternative civil service in telegram: @agsnowarbot .

Illustrations: Lida Kurnosova

You can support “Layout” from any country in the world - it is still safe and very important. We really need your support now. How to help us →