Earlier this week, Ukraine approved the release of the first detainees who volunteered to serve in the country’s army, which is currently facing difficulties fighting the Russian invasion.
A court in the city of Khmelnytsky, located in western Ukraine, reviewed and approved the applications of two men convicted of robbery, born in 2000 and 1981 respectively, who volunteered to join the Ukrainian forces in exchange for freedom.
The decision was made under a new law signed into law this month by President Volodymyr Zelensky that seeks to mobilize more soldiers for the ongoing conflict against dictator Vladimir Putin’s army. The law allows a certain category of condemned prisoners to ask for their freedom in exchange for fighting against Russian forces. According to information, the measure has already attracted more than 3 thousand inmates expressing their desire to fight in exchange for their freedom.
The legislation does not extend to convictions for serious crimes such as murder, sexual violence or threats to national security. The initiative is a response to similar tactics employed by Russia, where the Wagner Group recruited tens of thousands of prisoners to operate in Ukraine.
The Khmelnytsky court emphasized that the freed men “are fit for military service, have passed a professional and psychological examination and have a sufficient level of physical fitness.”