After being pardoned by Putin
Peskov: Criminals make amends for crimes “with blood”.
November 10, 2023, 11:25 p.m
A man from Siberia should actually have spent 17 years in a prison camp for the brutal murder of his ex-girlfriend. However, he has now been pardoned by Putin because he wants to fight in Ukraine. The Kremlin sees this as compensation.
According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Russian criminals are making amends for their crimes through combat operations in Ukraine. “Those who have been convicted, even for serious crimes, atone for their actions with their blood on the battlefield,” Peskov told reporters in Moscow. And further: “They atone with blood in the assault brigades, with bullets and missiles.”
The Kremlin is defending the much-criticized practice of releasing convicted Russian criminals from prison after military service. The background is the recently announced pardon of a convicted murderer by President Vladimir Putin. The man from the Siberian city of Kemerovo, who was originally sentenced to 17 years in a prison camp for killing his ex-girlfriend in 2020, was reportedly released early because he agreed to fight in Ukraine. The case caused heated discussions and outrage in Russian media and social networks. Vladislav Kanyus tortured his 23-year-old ex-girlfriend for hours before murdering her.
Tens of thousands of Russians convicted of violent crimes such as murder and rape, among others, were recruited for combat operations in Ukraine. In return, they were promised pardons and release from prison after their service. According to Russian media, several released prisoners relapsed into criminal offenses after their service in the army ended. Accordingly, some of them committed homicide and sexual crimes.