Verdict to Kuban resident for evading military service upheld

The appellate instance has upheld the verdict passed to Dmitry Martynenko, a resident of Kuban (Krasnodar Territory), who was sentenced to five years and three months in colony for unauthorized abandonment of his military unit. The expiration of the contract is not the basis for service termination, the judge has stated.

According to the court, Martynenko, "while serving under contract during the mobilization, decided to temporarily evade his military service without good reason" and went home. He was found by employees of the military commandant's office.

The convict had treated the verdict as illegal and asked to be acquitted. In his complaint, he stated that his contract with the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) was concluded for a year, but upon expiration of the contract, the command did not dismiss him from service, therefore, he went home and appealed against the inaction of his unit command in court.

However, the court has stated that "during the period of partial mobilization, the expiration of one's contract for military service is not the ground for dismissal." The judge has treated the verdict as fair and dismissed the complaint.

Let us remind you that after the announcement of "partial mobilization," contract soldiers have lost the chance to terminate their contracts before the expiration thereof.