Thousands of convicts are set to be released, posing a "significant challenge" for Russian society, as violent offenders who fought for the paramilitary organisation, the Wagner Group, are among the likely releases.
This mercenary group, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Russian oligarch with close ties to President Vladimir Putin, has recruited inmates to strengthen its ranks.
The UK Ministry of Defence noted that "Wagner prisoner recruitment peaked in autumn 2022 with inmates being offered commutation of their sentences after six months of service.
" The Russian government is reportedly expected to honour its vow.
In the past, the Wagner Group has been credited for Russia's successes on the battlefield in Ukraine.
However, their recruitment tactics have come under criticism.
Former detainees of a Wagner Group base in Syria have accused the group of using them as slave labour while they were being held prisoner.
The UN's Working Group on the use of mercenaries has also accused the group of violating international human rights law, stating that "their alleged involvement in extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances and torture, and their use in active hostilities has been reported in countries including Ukraine, Syria, Libya, Sudan and the Central African Republic."
Russian lawyer Dmitry Shabelnikov sees "adjustments in the justice system" as a potential solution for the coming influx of releases.
He states that the Russian legal framework does not offer sufficient opportunity for rehabilitation or resocialisation of prisoners.
In contrast, a Belarusian lawyer, Alexey Skrypnyk, criticized the recruitment tactics of the Wagner Group, stating that "Military service should be rewarding enough that people go there voluntarily, not through manipulation or lying."
The release of Wagner Group recruits raises concerns about the impact on Russian society and the potential for the group's involvement in violations of international law.
It also highlights ongoing issues within the Russian justice system in terms of rehabilitation and resocialisation of prisoners.