This Saturday, September 24, the Kremlin announced increased sanctions against those who surrender or refuse to fight.
They now face up to 10 years in prison. Russian soldiers who surrender or refuse to fight during mobilization risk increased penalties.
France Info indicates that these amendments to the Penal Code, previously voted by parliament, were signed by Vladimir Putin and come into force on Saturday 24 September.
300,000 reservists expected
As a reminder, with this “partial mobilization”, 300,000 reservists will have to go to the field to fight. In detail and according to Andrei Kartapolov, head of the Duma defense committee quoted by the Russian business daily Kommersant (in Russian), it is the “foremen, non-commissioned officers, midshipmen under 35 and non-commissioned officers under 45” who will be mobilized.
730 demonstrators arrested
More than 730 people were arrested in Russia during protests on Saturday against the mobilization order, rights group OVD-Info reported by Reuters.
OVD-Info said it was informed of arrests in 32 different cities. Unauthorized gatherings are illegal under Russian law, which also prohibits any activity deemed to harm the armed forces.
In the country, many demonstrations took place to oppose this mobilization. Border traffic has greatly intensified while the airlines would have been ordered to sell more tickets to 18 – 65 year olds.
A foot call to strangers
As noted the Obsthis legislative decision has another component, allowing foreigners who will join the army to apply for Russian nationality after one year, against five years of residence in the country in normal times.
“This measure seems to be aimed primarily at immigrants from the former Soviet republics of Central Asia, who occupy the most arduous jobs in large cities, such as Moscow”, indicate our colleagues.