Amnesty International on Thursday sentenced Russia’s recruitment of foreign nationals from socioeconomically disadvantaged countries to fight in Ukraine is classified as human trafficking. It states that they were recruited primarily through fraudulent job offers, their immigration status was exploited, and they were handed over to Russian forces by third parties.
Agnès Callamard, a French human rights activist and Secretary General of Amnesty International, commented on the issue as follows:
The human suffering caused by trafficking of foreign nationals by Russia or those it has enabled and encouraged is not limited to the front lines in Ukraine. These recruitment networks extend far and wide, into vulnerable communities around the world, leaving a trail of exploitation, loss and pain far beyond war-torn Ukraine… There must be full accountability for all those directly involved and all accomplices, whether as private recruiters or intermediaries, as state officials or as military commanders. Wherever Human trafficking If an incident has occurred, victims and survivors should be identified and treated as such, with all evidence collected and preserved to prosecute those responsible.
Russia has recruited thousands of foreigners from low-income countries, as well as migrants and refugees already living in Russia, to fight in its war in Ukraine. Coercive and exploitative practices were common during recruitment. Many recruits have been lured by false promises of civilian employment, high salaries, legal status or Russian citizenship, but promptly find themselves on the front lines in Ukraine.
The Russo-Ukrainian War began in February 2014, when Russia occupied and annexed Crimea from Ukraine following the Ukrainian Revolution. Russia then supported Russian separatist armed groups who started a war in the eastern Donbass region against the Ukrainian military, which was declared occupied in 2018. The current and largest phase of the war began in February 2022 when Russia launched an attack complete invasion Ukraine and began to occupy other parts of the country. The war has led to a refugee crisis and hundreds of thousands of deaths.
Today, most recruits are sent to the front within just two weeks of starting training, with no military experience required for deployment. The organization pointed out that there are often foreign recruits There was a lack of preparation and equipmentIn addition, communication with commanders is limited due to language barriers. The two-week schedule for the operation also suggested that Russia’s recruitment of foreign nationals was intended primarily to increase the number of front-line soldiers, rather than to ensure combat readiness.
Amnesty International now calls on Russia to immediately end all abusive and coercive practices related to the military recruitment of foreign nationals and refugees and their treatment in training centers and on the front lines. States with vulnerable populations have a responsibility to dismantle human trafficking networks, hold perpetrators legally accountable, and ensure comprehensive compensation for victims of exploitation.
The ban on human trafficking is recognized legally binding normwhich is an inalienable human right cannot be deducted under all circumstances, even in times of war. In addition, carrying out this activity is also prohibited Article 3 the Palermo Protocol and Article 4 the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which the European courts have at their disposal interpreted to include Human trafficking.
