Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday signed amendments to the criminal code that provide up to 10 years in prison for soldiers who desert or refuse to fight during a period of mobilization, as is currently happening in Russia, AFP reported.

Vladimir Putin Photo: Mykhailo Metzel / TASS / Profimedia Images

These changes to the Criminal Code, voted by Parliament this week, have been published on the government’s legal portal and thus entered into force.

We are talking about deprivation of liberty for a term of up to 10 years for soldiers who deserted, “voluntarily” surrendered to the enemy, refused to fight or disobeyed orders during mobilization.

Looting during the war is also punishable by imprisonment for up to 15 years.

The Russian parliament on Tuesday – just a day before the partial mobilization agreed by Putin – passed a bill that increases the punishment for a number of crimes such as desertion, damage to military equipment and insubordination, if they are committed during military mobilization or in a combat situation.

  • The new law introduces the concepts of “mobilization”, “martial law” and “wartime” into the Criminal Code of Russia for the first time.
  • A number of new articles are also introduced, in particular on “voluntary surrender”. Those who surrender face 3 to 10 years in prison, unless there are also signs of treason.
  • Amendments have been made to the article “Robbery”, which provide for punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of up to 15 years. At the same time, it is proposed to consider the commission of a crime “during the period of mobilization or martial law, in wartime” as aggravating circumstances.
  • According to the project, voluntary departure from the military unit during the period of mobilization and martial law will be punished more severely: for absenteeism from two to 10 days – up to five years, instead of up to a year, as was the case before; absence from 10 days to a month – up to seven years of imprisonment; leaving the institution for more than a month – from 5 to 10 years in the colony.
  • The new law also covers cases of insubordination. If such actions are committed during a state of war, wartime, or in conditions of armed conflict or hostilities, and the refusal to participate in hostilities or hostilities has caused grave consequences, then disobedience is punishable by imprisonment for a term. period from three to ten years.

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