Intimidation and repression are popular methods of the Russian state apparatus to crack down on people who disagree with the Kremlin’s decisions.
Soldiers who do not want to go to war in Ukraine are now experiencing this firsthand. A video showing the arrest of two Russian resistance fighters has been circulating online for a few days.
The video shows how two soldiers have to step forward one after the other in the middle of the formation. A man who introduces himself as a detective explains to each of the two soldiers that a trial has been started against them on November 16. It concerns article 332 section 2.1 of the Penal Code – refusal to obey orders, in particular the refusal to participate in military or combat operations. The soldiers face up to three years in prison.
The men are then immediately taken away by two other police officers, handcuffed and put in the vehicle.
arrest for deterrence
The video had been distributed to Ukrainian and Russian Telegram channels. According to the information, the scene would have taken place in the Russian border region of Belgorod. It is unclear when the video was made. It is also unknown whether the men were mobilized or contract soldiers.
Maxim Grebenyuk is a lawyer who currently advises military personnel who are retiring or have no intention of enlisting at all. He is convinced that it was not necessary to arrest the soldiers on the territory of the military facility. It is much more about instructing and deterring others, he writes on Telegram. (Man)