RUSSIA: SURGE IN CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS AGAINST MILITARY OBJECTORS

Movement of Conscientious Objectors (Russia), 06.2023

In the first half of 2023, Russian military courts have received 2,076 criminal cases concerning unauthorized absence from military service, as per Article 337 of the Russian Criminal Code. This number is twice as high as the total cases for the entire year of 2022 and three times higher than the pre-war year of 2021. The majority of the accused are not contract soldiers but those who have been mobilized. Courts are now issuing around 100 verdicts per week, and this number is on the rise. More (in German)