Lawyers treat the spring draft as creeping mobilization

The introduction of electronic summonses and associated restrictions on person's rights have become the main features of the new draft; however, in Northern Caucasus, it will only result in an increase of the upper conscription age, lawyers have noted.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on April 11, 2023, the Russian State Duma adopted a law on digitalization of military records, which changed the system of serving summonses and introduced measures to ensure attendance, including a ban on leaving the country. The law provides for electronic summonses in parallel to paper ones.

The current draft is notable for a number of novelties, Artyom Mugunyants, a lawyer, has noted. "First: a united conscription centre has been set up in Moscow, and now all conscripts are called there. This was done in order to introduce various restrictions. For example, to hold them accountable if they evade from service, or to impose restrictions on them on travelling abroad, on registering as individual entrepreneurs, on obtaining loans, and so on ... Besides, this draft can be treated as 'creeping mobilization', since everyone will be persuaded to sign contracts so as not to announce a general mobilization, but at the same time have a certain number of people who can be sent to the frontline," Mr Mugunyants has explained, adding that for now the novelties concern Moscow only, but in the future this system could become unified for all regions, including the North-Caucasian Federal District (NCFD).

Elena Popova, a human rights defender and the coordinator of the "Movement of Conscientious Objectors to Military Service"*, hopes that the conscription system launched in Moscow will stall and not reach Northern Caucasus. She has recalled that the conscription age has already been increased to 30 years.

*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.