17:37, 18 September 2023

Pregnant servicewoman from KBR convicted of evading service

A criminal case, photo: Yelena Sineok, Yuga.ru

The Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don has upheld the verdict of the first-instance court, which had found Corporal Madina Kabaloeva from the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR), guilty of failure to appear for her military service. The woman received a recommendation for temporary release from service due to pregnancy and the presence of another small child, but did not inform the command about it. The court sentenced her to six years in colony by deferring the enforcement until 2032.

The tightening of legislation in Russia after the announcement of mobilization has led to more severe sentences for absence from military service or desertion, human rights defenders have noted.

At the trial at the Vladikavkaz Garrison Military Court, Kabaloeva admitted the fact of failing to appear before the command, but said that she had a medical certificate, which, as she claimed, gave her temporary exemption from service. According to her story, she was sure that the unit's medical service would bring this information to the command. The military prosecutor refused to take her arguments into account.

Amid the partial mobilization and growing losses, the attitude of residents of Northern Caucasus towards military service has changed. Earlier, it was seen as a social lift and an opportunity to earn money, but protests against mobilization and unfilled vacancies in the security and military structures have demonstrated a change in residents' mood, said the "Memorial" Centre for Human Rights Defence.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on September 18, 2023 at 03:42 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Source: Caucasian Knot