Ten more sentences over refusal to serve in Russian army passed in occupied Crimea

"In December 2020, the Crimean Human Rights Group has recorded 16 new criminal cases initiated against Crimean residents under Article 328 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (evasion of call-up to military service in the Russian Armed Forces) and ten new sentences have been passed under this article," the Crimean Human Rights Group posted on Facebook.

According to human rights activists, the highest number of cases and sentences for refusal to serve in the Russian army has been recorded this December during the entire period of occupation.

At the end of December, CHRG experts recorded a total of 163 criminal cases initiated for evasion of call-up to military service in the Russian Armed Forces, which were submitted to Crimean "courts" for consideration.

Sentences were already passed in 153 of them, another ten cases are under consideration.

The Crimean Human Rights Group underscores that Russia violates Article 51 of the Fourth Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War by compelling inhabitants of Crimea to serve in its armed forces and by conducting continuous propaganda of service in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in the territory of Crimea.

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