Russia’s Supreme Court: participation in Ukraine war legitimate reason to be cleared of criminal charges
Russia’s Supreme Court has ruled that “the change of the current situation” allows acquitting Vladislav Ustinov, a serviceman, on his charges after he was found guilty of a traffic incident that killed two people.
One of the grounds for such a decision was that Ustinov participated in the Ukraine war, according to the ruling published on the website of the court, Kommersant reports.
A military court in Khabarovsk declared Ustinov guilty of causing a traffic situation and sentenced him to two years in a minimum-security prison. This decision was confirmed by the two more courts, but the Board of the Armed Forces for military personnel intervened in the case.
The Board referred to a law that says a person who has committed a crime of small or medium gravity should be acquitted on their charges if it is established that, due to a change in the situation, this person or the crime committed by him ceased to be socially dangerous.
More than a year and a half has passed since the crime was committed, Ustinov is now “performing combat missions in the zone of a special military operation and is described by the command as a serviceman who shows courage, dedication and a high level of professional training”, therefore, he “has ceased to be socially dangerous and is subject to release from punishment," the Supreme Court ruled.
The decision was made in late June. The same month, a law on acquittal of Ukraine war fighters for minor crimes came into force in Russia. According to the document, convicts who have signed a contract with the Ministry of Defence will be released early from serving their sentences.
