Russia proposes letting people accused or convicted of gang activity, nuclear materials theft, and state-secrets offenses enlist in the military

Source: State Duma

Russia’s government has submitted a bill to the State Duma that would expand the list of Criminal Code articles under which defendants and convicts can sign contracts with the Defense Ministry during mobilization, martial law, and wartime. The independent Russian news outlet Verstka flagged the bill.

The bill would remove outstanding or unexpunged convictions under several articles from the list of grounds that bar someone from signing a contract. Those articles include:

Article 200.1 (smuggling of cash), several parts of Article 229.1 (drug smuggling), and Part 1 of Article 226.1 (smuggling of strategically important goods);
Part 2 of Article 209 (participation in a gang) and Part 2 of Article 210 (participation in a criminal organization);
Paragraph “b” of Part 2 of Article 215.4 (illegal entry into a protected facility with intent to disclose state secrets);
Part 1 of Article 221 (theft or extortion of nuclear materials);
Article 284 (loss of documents containing state secrets).

The bill’s explanatory note says it “is aimed at expanding the pool of individuals” with whom a contract for service in the Russian army may be signed.

Verstka said current Russian legislation lets people with criminal convictions or open criminal cases sign military contracts for most categories of crime. Exceptions include crimes against the sexual inviolability of minors, and a number of terrorist, extremist, sabotage, state, and other offenses.

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Russia proposes letting people accused or convicted of gang activity, nuclear materials theft, and state-secrets offenses enlist in the military

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Russia proposes letting people accused or convicted of gang activity, nuclear materials theft, and state-secrets offenses enlist in the military

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