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Court in Khmelnytskyi Oblast releases 50 prisoners to join army after new conscription law

by Kateryna Hodunova and The Kyiv Independent news desk May 24, 2024 8:37 PM 2 min read

Photo for illustrative purposes. A Ukrainian soldier on the way to fighting positions near Velyka Novosilka as Ukrainian forces target Russian trenches in Donetsk Oblast on July 23. (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

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A court in Ukraine's Khmelnytskyi Oblast released another 50 prisoners on the condition that they join the military under the new conscription law, the court's press service reported on May 24.

Ukraine's parliament passed a bill on May 8 permitting those convicted of certain offenses to serve in the military, paving the way for the voluntary mobilization of prisoners. President Volodymyr Zelensky signed the bill into law on May 17.

A court in Khmelnytskyi Oblast released the first two prisoners under the newly implemented law on May 22.

According to the court, those released are predominantly young men who were sentenced to prison for crimes like theft.

The prisoners released most recently reportedly said they have no military experience but are confident that they will quickly gain the skills required.

Several prisoners said a motivating factor was that some of their friends and relatives, including those serving in the military, were killed in Russia's war against Ukraine, according to the court.

Those released will reportedly be supervised by the military units they enlist in and cannot leave their units without their commanders' permission.

Justice Minister Denys Maliuska said earlier in May that Ukraine could fill its ranks with as many as 20,000 convicts in a move that would also help ease overcrowding in Ukrainian prisons.

More than 3,000 convicts have applied for conditional release to join Ukraine's Armed Forces, according to the Justice Ministry.

Authors: Kateryna Hodunova, The Kyiv Independent news desk

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