UN Expert Says Prisoners Sent By Russia To Fight In Ukraine Are Committing Crimes When They Return

Mariana Katzarova, who is observing human rights in Russia under a mandate from the UN-backed Human Rights Council, stated that the return of former criminals with clean legal slates is contributing to a rise in domestic violence.

The phenomenon first emerged last year among returning fighters, but Katzarova noted that pardons and shortened sentences for prisoners who agree to fight in Ukraine became law in Russia in March.

Speaking to reporters, Katzarova estimated that around 170,000 convicted violent criminals have been recruited to fight in Ukraine.

“Many of those who return — and this is an emerging trend — have been perpetrating new violent crimes, particularly against women, girls, and children, including sexual violence and killings,” she said in Geneva, where the council is holding its autumn session.

“This has increased violence against women in Russia, which is already at a very high level, with thousands of women dying each year as a result of domestic violence,” she added. “There is no law in Russia distinctly criminalizing domestic violence or gender-based violence.”

Russia's war in Ukraine is now in its third year, and the Kremlin has gone to great lengths to replenish its troops there. In 2022, the authorities mobilized approximately 300,000 men in a partial call-up, and human rights groups and media have reported efforts to recruit inmates serving time in prisons across the vast country. Initially, recruitment was carried out by the Wagner mercenary group, but later the Russian Defence Ministry took over, according to activists and media reports.

In March, the Russian parliament passed a law allowing authorities to release convicted criminals from prisons if they enlist in the army and sign a contract with the Defence Ministry.