We consider Dmitry Vasilets a political prisoner

He was sentenced to 2 years and 2 months in prison for conscientious objection to fighting as an officer in the Russian army

The ‘Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international standards, considers Dmitry Vasilets, a Senior Lieutenant in the Russian army, to be a political prisoner. He is being prosecuted under the article on refusal to participate in military operations because he did not return to the war in Ukraine after changing his beliefs.

Vasilets’ criminal prosecution violates his rights to freedom of conscience and to a fair trial. The criminal case against him is aimed at the unlawful coercion of Russians to participate in the invasion of Ukraine.

We demand the immediate release of Dmitry Vasilets and that all criminal charges against him be dropped.

Who is Dmitry Vasilets and what is the case against him?

Senior Lieutenant Dmitry Vasilets is an orphan who graduated from a military institute and served in the north of the Murmansk region before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

After the invasion began in February 2022, Vasilets participated in combat operations against Ukraine. After 5 months, he was granted a leave of absence and went to see relatives of his deceased fellow soldiers in Ulan-Ude and Chita in Eastern Siberia, where he converted to Buddhism.

When the leave was over, Vasilets refused to return to the war, arguing that his beliefs had changed. For disobeying the military order, he was disciplined in the form of early dismissal from service.

After a call for mobilisation, the dismissal process was suspended and Vasilets received a new order to go to war. After the repeated refusal, a criminal case was initiated against Vasilets even though he repeatedly stated that his beliefs were incompatible with military service and demanded that it be replaced with the alternative civilian one.

On 7 April 2023, Dmitry Vasilets was sentenced to 2 years and 2 months in a general regime penal colony under Article 332, Part 2.1, of the Russian Criminal Code for ‘a refusal to participate in military operations during an armed conflict’.

Why do we consider Dmitry Vasilets a political prisoner?

The article on refusal to participate in hostilities was urgently adopted on 21 September 2022 with other repressive ‘military’ laws.

On the same day, so-called ‘partial mobilisation’ was announced in Russia. The rights of servicemen were significantly restricted while the terms of their contracts were unilaterally changed – now they cannot leave the military service.

We are convinced that the presidential decree cannot override Article 59 of the Russian Constitution, where paragraph 3 states that ‘a citizen of the Russian Federation shall have the right to replace military service by alternative civilian service in case his convictions or religious belief contradict military service and also in other cases envisaged by the federal law’. The Constitution guarantees the right to alternative civilian service for all citizens of Russia, regardless of whether they are conscripts, contractors or mobilised.

The court judgement in Vasilets’ case contradicts the Russian Constitution and Russia’s international obligations: the verdict states that ‘the execution of commander’s orders, […] including participation in combat operations, constitutes the essence of military duty, which obliges a serviceman […] to obey the orders regardless of their religious views and personal beliefs’.

Further information about this case and the position of the ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project is available on our website.

Recognition of an individual as a political prisoner does not imply the ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ project agrees with, or approves of their views, statements, or actions.

How can you help?

You can write to Dmitry Vasilets at the following address (letters must be written in Russian):

In Russian: 359150, Республика Калмыкия, п.Вахтовый, Яшкульский район, ФКУ КП-3 УФСИН России по Республике Калмыкия, Васильцу Дмитрию Витальевичу, 1995 г. р.

In English: Dmitry Vitalievich Vasilets (born 1995), Open Prison No. 3, Russian Federal Penitentiary Service for SRepublic of Kalmykia, Vahtovy settlement, Yashkulsky district, Republic of Kalmykia, 359150, Russia.

Here you can donate to support all political prisoners in Russia.