Putin signs law granting immunity to defendants who join the army

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on Wednesday that would allow defendants to avoid prosecution and possible prison time if they enlist in the army.

The bill was initially approved by Russia’s Supreme Court and Parliament before Putin approved the measure, which could potentially bring 20,000 new soldiers to the front lines in the war against Ukraine, according to a report by Russian independent magazine Important Stories.

“Of the approximately 60,000 defendants, 40 percent are expected to be ‘recruited,'” a Russian Defense Ministry official told reporters.

People seeking immunity must sign a contract to join Russia’s invasion forces in Ukraine, in what the Kremlin calls a “special military operation.”

Since the beginning of the war, Russia has been recruiting convicted prisoners or people under investigation to join the armed forces. The Washington Post has reported cases in which previously imprisoned soldiers served on the battlefield and returned home to reoffend.

Putin has continuously expanded what is already the largest army in the world. Last month he ordered the regular size of the Russian army to be increased by 180,000 soldiers, to a total of 1.5 million, making it second only to China.

The move, which will take effect on December 1, was the third time Putin has expanded the army since Russia began the war against Ukraine in February 2022.

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