Urgent Appeal to Russian Soldiers: Refuse to Participate in the “Special Operation” or Surrender. Do it as soon as possible – within a day, this may become a criminal offense.
Right now, the State Duma has urgently passed a law amending the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. It introduces criminal liability for military personnel for voluntarily surrendering to the enemy, desertion, and refusal to follow orders.
Tomorrow, September 21, the Federation Council will approve the law. It will likely be signed by Putin the same day — and then it will come into force. This will radically change the situation for soldiers who do not want to participate in the “special operation.”
From the moment the new law comes into force, refusing to participate in military actions will be punishable by up to 3 years in prison for disobeying orders. Surrendering to the enemy will also become a criminal act, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
The law will apply even if a state of war is not declared — the amendments refer to non-compliance with orders “during an armed conflict,” not officially declared war.
The amendments will affect not only soldiers who are already in Ukraine, but also those who are still in Russia and are being prepared for deployment to the conflict zone.
Until now, refusing to participate in military actions or continuing to fight was legal. Despite the threats faced by those who refused, no real punishment followed in many cases.
We call on Russian soldiers, both in the barracks and on the front line, to refuse to participate in the “special operation” or surrender to the Ukrainian Armed Forces as soon as possible. This is probably your last chance — and you need to take it within the next 24 hours.
You are not obligated to die for Putin. Go back home — to your mothers, wives, and children. You are needed in Russia — by those who love you. For the authorities, you are just cannon fodder, sent to waste without any meaning or purpose.
Here are the instructions from the “Prisoners of Conscience” on how to refuse participation in the “special operation”:
❗️If you are a military member and need help refusing to participate in the war — contact the “Agora” hotline, “Military Ombudsman,” or the “Prisoners of Conscience” hotline for advice.
❗️If you are a relative or acquaintance of a soldier involved in the “special operation,” and you can get in touch with them — urgently pass on this information. You can help the person become a conscientious objector.
❗️If you represent an anti-war initiative, human rights organization, or civil society movement — sign and distribute our appeal.
Signed by:
1. “Vesna” Movement
2. Feminist Anti-War Resistance
3. Movement “Wake Up”
4. Eighth Initiative Group
5. Green Ribbon
6. Omsk Civil Society Union
7. Anti-Propaganda
8. Russian America for Democracy in Russia
9. Movement “Beacon”
10. DISSIDENT
11. “Media Partisans”
12. “Barkhatnaya Street”
13. Movement of Conscious Objectors
14. Movement “Voice of Reason”
15. “Anti-War Sick Leave”
16. “Media Resistance Group”
17. Free Russia Nederland
18. Emigration for Action
19. Demokrati-JA
20. Allianz für ein freiheitlich-demokratisches Russland in Nürnberg
21. Movement “Time”
22. Russian Democratic Society
23. Cultural Project “New Russia”
24. Freies Russland NRW
25. Democratic Community of Russian-Speaking People in Finland
26. “Angry Chuvashia”
27. “Nowar”
28. Russia Tomorrow
29. Anti-War Committee in Sweden
30. Brave Partisans
31. Movement “Resistance!”
32. Za Svobodna Rusija / For Free Russia (Bulgaria)
33. Free Russians Global
34. Student Anti-War Movement (SAM)
35. Watch in Volgograd
36. Asians of Russia
