Officially, there is no question of a new wave of mobilization for the Ukrainian front. But in the event that this would be announced, Russia equipped itself, Tuesday, April 11, with instruments making it much more effective to call up part of its population.
This is the meaning of the amendments adopted by the Duma to general surprise and according to an emergency procedure. Some MEPs have indeed complained of not having had time to read the sixty pages of amendments, which did not prevent the text from being adopted unanimously.
The main innovation is the introduction of electronic convocations for conscripts or mobilized. Previously, only invitations in paper form, delivered by hand, were considered legal. Result: a man who did not go to work and refused to open his door to the postman could hope to stay out of reach.
From now on, summonses can be sent electronically, for example via the GosUslugi application, a very efficient interface used by almost all Russians in their interactions with the administration (from issuing identity documents to making medical appointments or paying municipal charges). Such a summons is also considered to have been delivered by the mere fact of its issuance, and no longer only because the recipient has actually received it.
Can’t ignore a summons
The lawyers who previously gave advice on the legal means of escaping mobilization, or not going to the recruitment office for “checks”, all made the same observation on Tuesday: it is now impossible to ignore a summons.
This observation is all the more bitter, for millions of Russians alarmed by these new provisions, that the fate of those who would try to escape despite everything is singularly complicated. First, any citizen summoned to a military office is prohibited from leaving the territory, whatever the reason for this summons. Then, his rights will be drastically limited: prohibition to buy or sell real estate and vehicles, to contract a credit, to register a company, and until the suspension of the driving licence.
Moreover, these limitations do not prejudge possible criminal proceedings, in a second step: at the end of September, the laws on the subject were reinforced, with penalties of up to ten years in prison for “deserters”. In recent weeks, verdicts approaching this ceiling have been handed down by military tribunals.
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