Russia’s State Duma has authorised Putin to use the military to “protect” Russians abroad
A bill allowing the use of the armed forces was passed in both its second and third readings on the same day. It provides for the “protection of the rights of Russian citizens” in cases where they are arrested or face criminal prosecution, including by international judicial bodies in which Russia does not participate.
The bill does not specify what the use of the armed forces to protect detained Russians abroad might actually involve. Commenting on the legislation, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said that “Western justice has effectively become an instrument of repression against those deemed undesirable” and that “under these conditions, it is important to do everything possible to ensure our citizens are protected”. Meanwhile, Andrei Kartapolov, chairman of the Duma’s defence committee, said the measure was aimed at countering a “rabid campaign of Russophobia”.
There have been several high-profile cases in which the detention and conviction of Russian citizens abroad caused significant controversy. These include the arrest, at the request of the United States, of arms dealer Viktor Bout, as well as the detention and conviction in Germany of Russian intelligence officer Vadim Krasikov, who shot dead former Chechen field commander Zelimkhan Khangoshvili in Berlin.
More recently, considerable attention has focused on the case of archaeologist Alexander Butyagin, who was arrested in Poland at Ukraine’s request after carrying out excavations in annexed Crimea. Butyagin ultimately became one of the participants in a “5-for-5” prisoner exchange involving Russia, Belarus, and Western countries.
The Bell reports that Russian lawmakers took inspiration from the 2002 US law “The American Service-Members’ Protection Act”. That legislation is intended to shield American military personnel and officials from actions by the International Criminal Court.
The ICC has, among others, issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin, Children’s Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova, and several senior Russian military figures, including former Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.
Lawyer Ilya Novikov believes the bill should be viewed as a form of intimidation — comparable to threats involving the use of nuclear weapons: “Now, when discussions arise over whether Britain should seize another tanker from Russia’s shadow fleet, those inside Britain who want to play into Putin’s hands will say: ‘You know, the Russians have changed their law, and now the risk of a military response has increased significantly. Do we really need this?’”
In Novikov’s view, the prospect of a Russian military incursion into a neighbouring country no longer seems entirely far-fetched: “Into Britain — no. But if there were a need to create, say, an incident involving Latvia, why not? Latvia frequently detains pro-Russian individuals. Five years ago, we also didn’t think Russia could send troops into Ukraine. As it turned out, it absolutely could.”
