New Russian anti-war protests as Putin decrees soldiers who refuse to fight will go to prison for up to 10 years

Police officers detain a man in Saint Petersburg on September 24, 2022, following calls to protest against the partial mobilisation announced by the Russian President.

AFP via Getty Images

• Putin decreed that soldiers who surrender, desert, or refuse to fight can face up to 10 years in prison.
• The new law was signed on Saturday as anti-mobilization protests continue across the country.
• At least 820 protesters have been detained in connection to Saturday's protests, a rights group said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed new decrees on Saturday that mean soldiers who surrender to enemy forces, desert their posts, or refuse to fight can face up to 10 years in prison.

The stiffened penalties come as protests continue across Russia against Putin's partial mobilization of 300,000 reservists to fight in Ukraine.

At least 820 protesters across 34 different cities in Russia have been detained in connection with Saturday's protests, according to independent rights group OVD-Info. 

It is in addition to more than 1,000 people being arrested earlier in the week. 

Footage from Saturday's protests in Moscow showed police pinning protesters to the ground, carrying men, and escorting women into police vans.

According to AFP, a woman shouted, "we are not cannon fodder," as she was led away by police.

Some protesters reported being given draft papers on the spot after being detained on Saturday, the BBC reported.

Earlier this week, Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin, did not deny that some detained protesters were being drafted, and said: "This is not against the law."

The ongoing protests come as droves of draft-age Russians have tried to flee the country, leading to plane ticket prices soaring and border crossings being overwhelmed.  

Another law signed on Saturday allowed foreigners who enlist in the Russian army for at least a year to get citizenship, reducing it from the standard requirement of five years residency.

This law seemed to be aimed at Central Asian migrants from former Soviet republics, who are typically enlisted for grueling, low-paying roles, Al Jazeera said.

The measures come as Russia faces manpower shortages and a series of battlefield setbacks amid a successful Ukrainian counter-offensive.

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