Russia: those who refuse to put on the uniform

While the Ukrainian counter-offensive is looming, the Russian army continues its recruitment campaign that began this winter, and spring conscription is in full swing. Yet, even if it is a silent phenomenon and difficult to assess, Russians still seek to avoid serving in the army.

A Russian conscript, during a ceremony marking his departure for a garrison, near Trinity Cathedral in St. Petersburg, May 23, 2023. REUTERS - ANTON VAGANOV

Text by: Anissa El Jabri Follow

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From our correspondent in Moscow

With the spring of 2023 and the disappearance of snow, these silent and anonymous cries of protest return: messages traced in chalk on sidewalks, paint on walls, roads or benches in public gardens. "No to war", "this war is not ours", these words are sometimes traced in the blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag. Passers-by glance at them or ostentatiously look away. Messages are systematically and quickly deleted anyway. Silent or almost, too, the opposition to join the ranks of the army. Military service, partial mobilization, we do not know how many they are to refuse, but in Russia, there are still activists to support them. No families or relatives, on the other hand, to talk about their situation: they now prefer not to take the risk of speaking publicly.

Some activists are active but keep a low profile, such as Elena Popova, coordinator of the conscientious objectors movement. During the interview she gave to RFI, her phone did not stop ringing. How many have been soliciting it for months? She herself says she doesn't know exactly, but she still receives phone calls like this: "A woman calls to tell me that her husband has left his unit, that he has been hiding in Russia for seven months, and that she is looking for help. I have to explain to him that his case is difficult and complicated, because if he ran away for a very long time. Whereas if they had consulted us immediately, at least within two days, we could have taken a legal step."

Possibilities of appeal

Paralysed for some by the partial mobilization that no one expected, few ordinary Russians know their rights in such a situation. Elena Popova tirelessly recalls the rules and the possibilities of appeal: "Within two days, there is no opening of a criminal case for unauthorized abandonment of the unit. For example, this man could have written a power of attorney thanks to his wife, she would have made an appointment for him, and he would have gone to see a psychiatrist independently. He would have gotten a diagnosis that would have helped him, because in a case like his, they all suffer from traumatic disorders, depression, anxiety. And there, it would have been a good base to confront the doctors at the military hospital. Otherwise, if a person wants to avoid getting there, he can simply write a text saying that his beliefs and conscience do not allow him to shoot and kill people, and that he demands the exercise of his constitutional right to civil service."

Of these men who hide with relatives or in nature, we know little or nothing. No official communication is made. It is through word-of-mouth or private conversations that we learn that these situations are not necessarily very isolated. Like this Muscovite who tells in a tone of squeaky humor this scene she has just experienced: "I no longer have a dentist for at least 3 years. When I called to make an appointment, his secretary told me that he was in prison for refusing the mobilization. There would be several of them in his cell."

The sentences, on the other hand, are known: 3 years behind bars in case of refusal of partial mobilization, 5 years if ever a man already enlisted runs away.

Since the end, at least according to official statements, of the partial mobilization, the army in Russia has been recruiting. According to the latest figures provided by the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Medvedev, since the beginning of 2023, more than 117,400 people have signed a contract. The army today also handles spring conscription. It began on 1 April and will end on 15 July.

"More and more citizens no longer believe in legal means at all... »

Along with the fall conscription, it was one of the periods when Arseny Levinson had the most work. We meet this lawyer, himself a conscientious objector, like his father and brother, in a public place in Moscow, far from potentially attentive ears. A rare half-hour interview, as he is overwhelmed by his schedule: this thirty-year-old voluntarily advises all those who want to escape military service. And since the beginning of the special operation, as the Kremlin always says, they would be more likely to want to escape it: "My feeling is that last spring, just after the start of the war, there were more people asking to do civilian service instead of military service. But now, more and more citizens no longer believe at all in legal means to defend what they believe in. Those who would otherwise seek alternative service simply flee the military enlistment office or even leave the country." An approach that Arseny Levinson understands: "Thesituation is getting worse. Not all rights have disappeared in Russia, but the situation is becoming more and more complicated. There are already more and more cases where people are conscripted in one day in violation of any law. Even with regard to those who have requested the alternative service. This is not a case that I am dealing with, but I have heard of a case in the Volgograd region, where alternative service was denied to a young man. He had appealed to the court, but the military enlistment office deceived him and sent him to the army within 24 hours."

Refusal to mobilize last fall or refusal to conscript this spring, it is impossible to know how the judicial debates are actually conducted. Hearings are held in military courts. All closed to the public.

>> Read also: Russia: a digital spring conscription campaign

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