Independent survey finds majority of Russians oppose pardoning serious offenders for participating in war

Over half of Russians do not favor pardoning serious offenders for participating in the war, according to a new survey from the independent research group Russian Field.

According to the findings, 55 percent of respondents “tend to oppose” pardoning prisoners convicted of serious crimes if they participate in the “special military operation,” while 32 percent said they would “tend to support” pardons in such cases.

Among women, the proportion of those against is higher (60 percent) compared to men (48 percent).

In the 18 to 29 age group, 69 percent of respondents oppose pardoning prisoners who have committed serious crimes if they participate in the war (20 percent of respondents in this group support this practice). The respondents most likely to be in favor of pardons are those 60 and older (43 percent “for,” 42 percent “against”).