On the need to visit Russia and conduct Study on the theme

«The formation of economic, debt, and criminal mechanisms for coercing representatives of the indigenous peoples of Russia into recruitment into

the Russian army for the purpose of participating in the Special Military Operation – the armed conflict between Ukraine and Russia»

 

«THIS MATERIAL IS PRODUCED, DISTRIBUTED AND (OR) SENT

BY FOREIGN AGENT №247 PETROV STEPAN YURIEVICH,

№296 AUTONOMOUS NON-COMMERCIAL ORGANIZATION FOR PROTECTION

 OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION «YAKUTIA — OUR OPINION» OR CONCERNING THE ACTIVITIES OF FOREIGN AGENT №247 PETROV STEPAN YURIEVICH,

№296 AUTONOMOUS NON-COMMERCIAL ORGANIZATION FOR PROTECTION

 OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION «YAKUTIA — OUR OPINION»

Sequence numbers are indicated in accordance with

the registry of foreign agents of the Ministry of Justice of Russia

 

UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples,

Mr. Albert Barume

Chairperson of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues,

Mrs. Aluki Kotierk

Chairperson of the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,

Mrs. Valmaine Toki

 

 

I, Stepan Petrov, express my gratitude to the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, Mr. Albert Barume for accepting for consideration my appeal regarding the forced recruitment of representatives of the indigenous peoples of Russia into the Russian army to participate in the armed conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

 An analysis of information from publicly available and personal sources indicates an extremely grave situation associated with the mass deaths of representatives of indigenous peoples of Russia during this conflict.

 

The official full list of those killed during the armed conflict in Russia is not published, as this conflict is not officially recognized as a war in Russia.

The following sources exist regarding the dead.

1.) Material from Wikipedia — the free encyclopedia

Casualties of both sides during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

https://shorturl.at/RJMtL

2.) Killed in the war in Ukraine

https://shorturl.at/NO99E

3.) Statistics of Russia’s losses

https://poteru.net/

4.) In memory of those who died in the war in Ukraine

https://vk.com/pamyat22

 

There are also numerous sources on well-known internet platforms: Telegram channels, vk.com pages, and others. There, relatives and friends of the deceased can submit information for publication, and relatives and friends of the missing can search for their loved ones. These sources are grouped by region, locality, unit, division, and other criteria.

 

The death toll on the Russian side in the armed conflict is in the hundreds of thousands. 

There is no information on the number of deaths among the indigenous peoples of Russia.

However, since 2022, it has been indigenous peoples who have been subject to mass mobilization. They are primarily deployed in frontal assaults, where they are most likely to die. Many of them have already died.

The colossal scale of losses among the indigenous peoples of Russia in this war can be imagined simply by looking at the websites of casualties of residents of the national republics, territories, and settlements where they live, as well as by the number of new graves of war participants in cemeteries. 

 

Here are sources of information on the two national republics of Russia.

The deceased from Tatarstan

https://web.telegram.org/k/#@tatarstan200

The deceased from the Sakha Republic

https://web.telegram.org/k/#@pogibshie_yakutia

 

Russian war correspondents and bloggers, who have no interest in presenting false information, report on the dire situation at the front.

They report the widespread use of «meat assault» tactics, whereby troops are sent into frontal assaults on well-fortified defensive positions without armored support, artillery preparation, mine clearance, or reconnaissance, under intense artillery and mortar shelling, intensive drone munition drops, and mass suicide drone attacks. Behind them, blocking detachments are positioned, shooting down retreating soldiers.

At the same time, commanders explicitly state that there will be no evacuation. The wounded must evacuate themselves. The result is that any injury that prevents a soldier from moving independently is doomed to death.

Wounded soldiers, people with severe chronic illnesses, disabled people, and pensioners are sent to the front and further into the “meat assaults.”

There are numerous videos available online confirming the use of «meat assaults.» This has been reported by the servicemen themselves and their relatives in video messages posted online.

The result of the «meat assaults» was the mass death of unprepared Russian citizens.

Representatives of Russia’s indigenous peoples are participating en masse and predominantly in such «meat assaults.»

The lifespan of a stormtrooper is from two weeks to a month.

A stormtrooper can die on the very first day of arrival at the front if he is sent on a combat mission that day.

 

Participation of representatives of indigenous peoples of Russia in the war in Ukraine will lead to the following irreversible negative consequences:

— the complete physical extinction of small indigenous peoples within the next few decades;

— a critical decline in the number of indigenous peoples (depopulation) followed by the disappearance (physical death) of indigenous peoples.

As a result of the war, a number of indigenous peoples of Russia may soon disappear from the face of the earth.

This critical situation requires urgent action.

 

During the armed conflict between Ukraine and Russia, a mass military genocide (physical extermination) of the indigenous peoples of Russia is actually taking place.

 

I have identified a correspondence between what is happening to representatives of the indigenous peoples of Russia in the war in Ukraine and the following signs of genocide, as specified in paragraphs a), b), c) of Article II of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide of December 9, 1948.

Source: https://www.un.org/en/genocide-prevention/1948-convention.

 

«Article II

In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with

intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as

such:

(a) Killing members of the group;

(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;

(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its

physical destruction in whole or in part».

 

It should be noted that most international actors are unable to exert effective influence on ending the armed conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

There was also a situational exhaustion of the UN Security Council’s capabilities to end this conflict.

The first to end the war are the Presidents of Ukraine and Russia.

 

I, Stepan Petrov, as the Head of the Subject of International Law, do not have direct authority or the ability to stop this war. 

At the same time, I am ready to provide any assistance within the framework of previously proposed peacekeeping initiatives.

 

Based on the real conditions of the ongoing war and the current situation, in order to stop the genocide of the indigenous peoples of Russia

I have launched an initiative to end the participation of forcibly mobilized representatives of indigenous peoples in the armed conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

This initiative has been developed taking into account the requirements of Resolution 1996/31, which regulates the activities of Non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

The initiative is available in electronic form here http://ouropinion.pro/?page_id=571.

 

The initiative envisages creation of a new International Institute within the UN structure – the Commissioner on Elimination of Participation of Indigenous Representatives in Armed Conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

In the absence of effective legal mechanisms for exempting representatives of indigenous peoples of Russia from military service, I have proposed implementing a mechanism for the lifelong exemption of representatives of indigenous peoples of Russia from military service and, accordingly, the cessation of their participation in the armed conflict between Ukraine and Russia in exchange for the return of part of Russia’s frozen assets.

I believe that those who were forcibly mobilized and do not want to participate in armed conflict should not be there.

Recognition of a person as forcibly mobilized must be carried out through his personal expression of will on a declarative basis.

That is, for this it is sufficient to write and sign an Application for participation in the return or exchange addressed to the Commissioner on Elimination of Participation of Indigenous Representatives in Armed Conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

 

Following the adoption of the Resolution, I, Stepan Petrov, am ready to become the Commissioner on Elimination of Participation of Indigenous Representatives in Armed Conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

In this position I am ready to:

— begin negotiations with government authorities of foreign states in whose jurisdiction Russia’s frozen assets are located;

— travel to the city of Kyiv, Ukraine to sign agreements with the Government of Ukraine and the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine;

— travel to Moscow, Russia to sign agreements with the Russian Government and the Russian Ministry of Defense;

— begin work on the return of representatives of the indigenous peoples of Russia from the war in Ukraine, including from the armed conflict zone.

 

I believe that in the situation of the ongoing mass military genocide (physical extermination) of the indigenous peoples of Russia, when representatives of indigenous peoples are dying almost every day, it is necessary to take the following measures in order to stop this genocide.

1.) Consolidation of efforts of all interested international actors, primarily the relevant UN bodies:

-UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples;

-UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues;

-UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

2.) The adoption by the heads of the UN governing bodies of appropriate measures to end the participation of forcibly mobilized representatives of indigenous peoples in the armed conflict between Ukraine and Russia:

-UN Secretary-General;

-President of the UN General Assembly;

-Chairman of the UN Security Council.

 

Given the arbitrariness and lawlessness towards the indigenous peoples of Russia at the national level, it is necessary to ensure their representation in the UN General Assembly with the aim of:

— full participation of indigenous peoples of Russia in the management of state affairs at the supranational level;

— ensuring effective participation in the international human rights process, including in the process of protecting the right of indigenous peoples of Russia to life and the right not to participate in wars under duress.

 

In connection with the above, I ask you to support my initiative, and also propose your own initiatives to end the participation of forcibly mobilized representatives of indigenous peoples in the armed conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

For my part, I, Stepan Petrov, as the head of the Subject of International Law and an independent civil activist, am ready to support your initiatives and take an active part in their implementation.

 

A key point of contention among supporters of the participation of indigenous peoples in the war is the assertion that their participation was voluntary.  

I am willing to challenge this statement.

In the course of my own analysis of the current situation, I identified the following mechanisms of forced mobilization.

After the name of the mechanism, a hypothesis, the most significant confirmations of the hypothesis, and a conclusion are given.

 

1.) Economic mechanism of coercion

 

Hypothesis

The low standard of living, poverty and destitution of indigenous peoples forces them to take part in armed conflict.

 

Confirmation of the hypothesis 

1.1.) Material «In almost every family, someone fights: Kamchatka village will be awarded the title «Village of Military Valor»»

(Source:https://www.mk.ru/social/2025/08/10/pochti-v-kazhdoy-seme-ktoto-voyuet-kamchatskomu-selu-prisvoyat-zvanie-selo-voinskoy-doblesti.html)

“The village is inhabited primarily by representatives of the indigenous peoples of the North: Koryaks, Itelmens, Evens, Aleuts, as well as Russians and one Chukchi,” says Nadezhda Avinova, chief expert of the Sedanka rural settlement administration.

The actual population of the village is 258, 67 of whom are men over 18 years of age.

More than half, 39 of our men, volunteered for the Special Military Operation”.

 

1.2.) Video «Sedanka. Back to the Middle Ages»

(Source:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSpSUP66nzE&t=50s)

Excerpts from the transcript of the video material

«According to Wikipedia, this small northern village has a population of about 400. In reality, only 224 residents remain, 67 of whom are children.

Sedanka is a traditional village. Almost all its inhabitants are Koryaks or Itelmens. We were really hoping to experience the local flavor, but we ended up in the most depressing place we’d ever seen. The people here don’t lead a traditional way of life and don’t even try to preserve their culture.

They’re simply trying to survive. The reindeer have long since disappeared, and most of the able-bodied fishermen have gone to the special military operation zone.

…. The entire housing stock was built during the Soviet era. It’s all eaten away by mold. Even if it’s not visible to the naked eye, you can easily tell by the smell.

… The first thing you notice about Sedanka is that it’s drowning in garbage. Huge piles of trash, with all the village dogs lounging on them, are a common sight. Bears are also frequent visitors to these dumps.

… As you’ve probably guessed, Sedanka wasn’t always like this. It was once a prosperous, colorful, and distinctive village. People bred reindeer, fished, and grew vegetables that fed the entire Tigilsky District.

All the wealth of these lands belonged to the people. Without disturbing the balance, they lived in harmony with nature. When the Koryak Autonomous Okrug ceased to exist, the sacred lands of their ancestors began to pass into private hands.

And ever since then, indigenous people have needed permission for any action. Before, this belonged to the people. They considered this their land, where they lived their traditional way of life.

Then these lands ceased to belong to people. Now, when people try to travel even to the sacred lands of their ancestors, Kvachina, it’s a nature reserve to hunt. These lands belong to some guy.

They should ask him first, for example, if they want to go hunting there. Or fishing, to get a place on the property. He’s a fisherman; his grandfather and father have been fishermen all their lives. But in reality, this property belongs to some kind of tribal community. They don’t want to leave it.

Why should we leave? We’ve been here our whole lives, we’ve lived here, we’ve worked here. Talk to Uncle Petya, he’ll give you permission. If he gives you a piece of paper, then you carry on the tradition here.

… The village is located on the banks of the Napana River, which has provided food for the entire village since time immemorial. But in the 2000s, tribal communities began to emerge, which, instead of preserving something eternal and imperishable, focused on economic activity.

That is, to benefit from the quota for aquatic biological resources allocated to the peoples of the North. Until 2009, the quota was distributed under the auspices of the Association of Indigenous Minorities, with more resources allocated to those communities that provided fish to the indigenous peoples. But in 2009, all individuals received a subjective right to a personal quota, and this distribution system became a thing of the past.

The tribal communities themselves have since become commodities. They can be bought and sold. You can obtain a quota for them, but then fish it elsewhere.

That’s exactly what happened in Sedanka. Before the emergence of fictitious tribal communities, local residents fished peacefully on the river, and no one called them poachers. But one day, nine fishing areas were carved out on the Napan.

Those who didn’t miss their chance and managed to properly complete the paperwork were awarded these plots through a tender, leaving Sedanka residents high and dry. Incidentally, little has changed since 2009. Local residents still face problems with the registration procedures.

The day before our visit, the North-Eastern Territorial Administration of the Federal Agency for Fisheries (SVTU FAR) came to the village and issued them fines for submitting reports on the 2023 quota.

The locals say we didn’t fish, but no one cares anymore.

And the local population has been unable to obtain a plot of land for many years now.

To help at least somehow, you saw how many pensioners we have, how many low-income people we have who need fish.

Some have more plots, even more than ten. But we’ve been fighting this for so many years now, trying to get at least something for the village, to at least support life in the village a little.

Because, well, the village is just dying, there is unemployment, people are desperate, depressed.

… No one wants to change the status quo. Currently, there are over 80 fishing grounds designated for traditional fishing in the Tigilsky District. But, for example, no one fishes on the Napana River.

But they do submit reports annually. What does this mean? The allocated quotas are being used to cover up poaching in other areas of Kamchatka.

… Moreover, the abolition of rural administrations will lead to even fewer people participating in the governance of the territory in which they live.

… However, cases of poaching can be safely opened against the entire village right now.

And although the Napana River has lost its importance as a fishery, people here simply don’t know how to do anything else”.

 

1.3.) Material «Deputy Parakhin: The majority of Yakut residents go to the Special Military Operation due to the lack of decent work and wages in Yakutia»

(Source:https://t.me/Torboznoe_radio/12427)

«Il Tumen Deputy Gavril Parakhin: Yakutia’s 72nd place in poverty among all subjects of the Russian Federation is a negative indicator for the entire republic, its leadership, and all ministries that are underperforming or mishandling the republic’s residents.

Due to the lack of decent work or wages in Yakutia, and the lack of money to support their families, the majority of Yakut residents are sent to the Special Military Operation to receive their due payments.

And those who return home, including those with injuries and lost ability to work, are faced with having to look for work in the republic again, in the absence of decent wages.»

 

1.4.) Material «The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: the basis for implementing the rights of indigenous peoples of Russia in the context of a total violation of the constitutional rights of citizens and the legalized irresponsibility of government bodies»

(Source:https://stepanpetrov.blogspot.com/2019/02/blog-post.html)

«The violation of the right to a decent life (economic rights) lies in the low standard of living of the population of Russia, which is a consequence of low minimum social standards, low real purchasing power of income, inflated prices and tariffs, and the unreliability of average statistical data.

According to official statistics, 13.3% of Russians had incomes below the subsistence minimum. However, independent estimates suggest that up to 80% of citizens have incomes below the subsistence minimum due to the underestimation of minimum social standards.

Social injustice, widespread poverty, the growth of negative social phenomena (alcoholism, drug addiction, suicide and crime), corruption and lawlessness in Russia could lead to massive, uncontrolled acts of violence, armed conflicts and a bloody civil war.»

 

Conclusion

One of the main reasons for the participation of indigenous peoples in armed conflict is the low standard of living, poverty and destitution, and the lack of opportunities to earn a decent living in their homeland.

Member of the Parliament of the Republic Sakha (Yakutia) Parakhin unequivocally confirmed this hypothesis.

Two articles dedicated to the village of Sedanka reflect the typical life and problems of indigenous peoples throughout Russia: limited access to biological resources and the criminalization of traditional indigenous activities (hunting, fishing), which leads to the loss of livelihoods.

In general, if people had the opportunity to earn a decent living at home, most indigenous peoples would not go to war, where the risk of death or disability is extremely high.

Most people want to live with their families and work in their home country, rather than go to war and die or become disabled.

 

2.) Debt mechanism of coercion

 

Hypothesis

The extreme poverty and destitution of indigenous peoples forces them to take out loans and credits, which subsequently forces them to take part in armed conflict under the threat of criminal prosecution due to non-payment of debt and seizure of property.

 

Confirmation of the hypothesis 

2.1.) Material «In a Russian region, bailiffs have begun to en masse lure debtors into SMO zone»

(Source:https://lenta.ru/news/2024/08/14/v-rossiyskom-regione-pristavy-nachali-massovo-zazyvat-dolzhnikov-v-zonu-svo)

“…In the Sverdlovsk region, bailiffs have joined the recruitment of volunteers to participate in the special military operation (SMO).

Readers of the publication reported a mass summons to the Federal Bailiff Service (FSSP). According to one reader, Russians are being forced to sign a «clarification» explaining how to get rid of their debts by participating in the SMO. The regional FSSP press service confirmed that they are working with debtors to send them to the SMO zone…”.

 

2.2.) Material «Credit Bondage: Slavery and Genocide of the 21st Century»

(Source:https://shorturl.at/gpY0j)

«The UN defined the term «economic slavery» as a person forced to work nonstop until death, because the money a slave earns in one month is only enough to pay for one month’s rent, one month’s food, and one month’s travel. Between 40% and 80% of people are slaves.

Faced with a lack of income, many Russians are forced to take out loans. By paying a significant portion of their income to lenders, many Russians lack the means to pay for food, housing, and other expenses.

Civilized countries don’t have the same exorbitant interest rates as Russia. Under these conditions, Russians, dependent on credit, are treated like slaves twice over.

This leads not just to impoverishment, but to the extinction of Russians due to rising rates of suicide, divorce, alcoholism, and crime. In some cases, debt bondage is a direct and immediate cause, leading people to drink heavily, commit suicide, and commit crimes.

Given its widespread nature and catastrophic consequences, debt bondage has become one of the instruments of 21st-century genocide in Russia.

In this case, the physical destruction of the population is carried out in two stages:

— bankers put people in obviously unfavorable conditions of being unable to pay off their debt due to inflated interest rates;

— bankers and debt collectors drive people to suicide through psychological violence during extrajudicial debt collection actions.

Ordinary citizens with “bad credit history” are forced to use various “credit substitutes,” which lead to even greater poverty.

They are forced to turn to non-bank lending institutions that issue so-called «express loans» on extremely onerous terms. These express loans are particularly dangerous and can lead to poverty and ruin in record time, as interest rates can reach 1.5-2.5% per day, which translates to 600-900% per year. Thus, the total debt for a 10,000 ruble loan can exceed 100,000 rubles within a year.

In extrajudicial debt collection, bankers and debt collectors demand repayment of the entire debt or a significant portion of it at any cost, which often involves the sale of housing and all property, meaning the debtor must become homeless and lose their livelihood.

Most people don’t voluntarily choose to become homeless and lose all their means of subsistence. Without money, debtors have no legal recourse. They are forced to take extreme measures to resolve their problems: either commit suicide or commit a crime, which may involve killing others.

By resorting to extrajudicial actions, bankers and debt collectors create incentives for destructive actions, that is, they wish for debtors to commit suicide and encourage people to commit crimes».

 

Conclusion

In modern Russia, debt bondage has become an instrument of genocide.

However, since 2022, credit genocide has transformed into military genocide.

Instead of paying off their debts, debtors were offered to go to war, kill and be killed.

Indigenous peoples are among the poorest and most destitute segments of the Russian population. The hypothesis has been confirmed.

 

3.) Criminal mechanism of coercion

 

Hypothesis

Poverty and destitution of indigenous peoples, unemployment, limited access to biological resources, and the criminalization of their traditional activities lead to an increase in crime among them on formal grounds, which subsequently forces them to take part in armed conflict due to fear of criminal prosecution, physical violence, and worsening conditions in places of detention.

 

Confirmation of the hypothesis 

3.1.) Material «Participants of the SMO will be released from criminal liability — the law has been signed»

(Source:https://www.garant.ru/news/1692519)

«Vladimir Putin signed Federal Law No. 61-FZ of March 23, 2024, according to which citizens who have committed a crime and have a criminal record may now enter into a military contract with the Russian Armed Forces during periods of mobilization, martial law, or wartime.

If suspects sign contracts with the Russian Armed Forces, their cases will be suspended, and for those convicted, their sentence will be replaced with a suspended sentence.»

 

3.2.) Material «Army order comes to pretrial detention centers»

(Source:https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/6788289)

«It has become known how suspects and accused are mobilized for the SMO.

Following the Investigative Committee, officers from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Federal Security Service, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Federal Customs Service, and even bailiffs, acting under the supervision of the prosecutor’s office, began recruiting suspects and accused into military units participating in the special military operation.

All of them have been instructed by their leadership to establish active cooperation with military registration and enlistment offices and to recruit physically healthy defendants in criminal cases between the ages of 18 and 65, who are guaranteed the suspension and eventual termination of criminal prosecution, as well as the expungement of their criminal records.

According to amendments to the Criminal Code (CC) and the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC), accused and suspects may be conscripted into military service.

After a criminal case is initiated, the defendant is offered a military alternative almost immediately. Military personnel conduct screening procedures for defendants held in pretrial detention centers in the detention centers themselves. The director of the penitentiary facility grants access to representatives of the commissariat and doctors upon request from the investigator or inquiry officer. If the prospective recruit is suitable for the military, the investigator issues a release order».

 

3.3.) Material “Four elements of protecting indigenous peoples from forced migration: peace, economy, ecology and status”    

(Source:https://stepanpetrov.blogspot.com/2018/08/2019.html)

“Sometimes, the unstable legal status of indigenous peoples leads not only to non-compliance with current legislation, but also to the commission of crimes against indigenous peoples.

Recently, the media reported on the arbitrary actions of the Coast Guard of the Border Service of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation in Kamchatka, whose representatives «smash boats belonging to indigenous peoples, confiscate fishing nets, prohibit fishing, and prosecute poor members of the Indigenous Minorities.»

Indigenous Kamchatka residents reported injustice against them: «People are starving and living in poverty, without job or government assistance. The governor allocated fishing grounds to the indigenous people, which require hundreds of kilometers of travel, crossing dangerous rivers.»

During a raid on July 20, 2018, coast guard boats of the Russian Federal Security Service’s Border Service destroyed boats belonging to Kamchatka’s indigenous minorities right in the open sea. The men miraculously survived. The military seized the fishing net, the boat, and the motor.

……

Also in May 2018, online sources reported mass beatings by security forces of fishermen from the Nanai village of Belgo on the right bank of the Amur River, 400 km from Khabarovsk.

In particular, residents of the village of Belgo reported: “They tortured us for three hours, laid us face down on the ground, trampled us, kicked us on the head, legs, arms, and kidneys.

The police officers wear masks, have the word «Police» written on the boat, and address the fishermen in offensive terms. They crash into the boat at full speed, endangering the lives and health of those in the motorboats. They threaten to douse the boat with gasoline and burn it, shout, and beat it with iron bats, reveling in their power and impunity. They humiliate it in the spirit of the worst prison traditions, like gang warfare.»

 

Conclusion

Over the past two decades, indigenous peoples have had their rights to engage in traditional activities (hunting, fishing) consistently and deliberately taken away.

As a result, the traditional activities of indigenous peoples have been criminalized, their access to biological resources has been restricted, and their livelihoods have been lost. This has led to an increase in the number of indigenous peoples facing criminal charges on formal grounds.

The desire to stop criminal prosecution or have their criminal record expunged, the fear of physical violence and worsening prison conditions are forcing representatives of Russia’s indigenous peoples to take part in armed conflict.

The hypothesis is confirmed.

 

Let us describe the psychological aspects of forced mobilization:

-compulsion;

-elements of coercion: deception and disinformation.

 

Coercion is a violent influence on a person with the aim of forcing him to do something or to refuse something.

Deception is the intentional misrepresentation of someone.

Disinformation is the deliberate dissemination of knowingly false information with the aim of misleading.

Coercion focuses on the use of violence or the threat of violence to achieve a desired outcome.

Deception and disinformation focus on false information or distortion of the truth, rather than violence. However, they indirectly contribute to coercion, as they aim to alter a person’s knowledge or perceptions. Coercion then modifies their actions through force or threats, and is more effective against a background of distorted perceptions.

Thus, deception and disinformation are a kind of basis for more effective implementation of coercion.

Let us describe this process in tabular form.

 

Economic, debt, criminal mechanisms

of forced mobilization in interconnection 

with its psychological aspects

 

	Mechanisms of forced mobilization
	Economic	Debt	Criminal
Subject – who, what carries out coercion	Economic situation	Employees of the Federal Bailiff Service	Investigators, interrogators, employees of the Federal Penitentiary Service
Subject’s influence	There is no work or source of income.	Information about the method of debt repayment is provided. Moral and psychological pressure and threats of criminal prosecution due to non-payment of debt, seizure of property are being exerted.	Information is provided on how to remove a criminal record and be released from criminal liability. Moral and psychological pressure and threats are applied. Physical violence may be used in places of detention.
Feelings of a person (object of coercion)	Fear of being unable to ensure physiological existence and death from hunger.	Fear of criminal prosecution due to lack of ability to repay debt and seizure of property.	Fear of criminal prosecution, physical violence, and worsening conditions of detention in places of imprisonment.
Psychological aspects of forced mobilization
— deception and misinformation	A military contract promises high incomes, social benefits and guarantees. Promises may be made that those mobilized will not take part in combat operations, but will only be involved in territorial defense, guarding warehouses and supplying supplies in the rear, on the second and third lines of defense. There is no information about the high risks of dying and becoming disabled. It is not indicated that the contract is indefinite, until the end of the war.
— coercion	A situation is created where there are no opportunities to earn money other than signing a military contract.	Psychological pressure is exerted to sign a military contract		Psychological pressure is exerted to sign a contract, which may be accompanied by physical violence.
Causes and effects of forced mobilization mechanisms	Unemployment and lack of means of subsistence forces one to sign a military contract	Fear of threat of criminal prosecution for non-payment of debt and seizure of property forces him to sign a military contract		Fear of criminal prosecution, physical violence, and worsening conditions of detention forces people to sign a military contract.

 

Based on the above and within the framework of Your mandates and powers,

I, Stepan Petrov, offer you:

-UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples,

-UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues,

-UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,

take the following measures.

 

1.) Conduct a Study on the theme «Formation of economic, debt, and criminal mechanisms for coercing representatives of indigenous peoples of Russia to recruit into the Russian army for the purpose of participating in the Special Military Operation — the armed conflict between Ukraine and Russia.»

 

2.) Form a delegation of representatives from one of the three relevant bodies (Special Rapporteur, Permanent Forum, Expert Mechanism) or a joint delegation to visit Russia in order to collect information from primary sources on the theme of Study and to assess  the situation related to the mass deaths of representatives of indigenous peoples of Russia during the armed conflict.

Next, send a request to the Russian government authorities to visit it.

 

3.) Consider, based on my written request, the issue of including me, Stepan Petrov, in the delegation to visit Russia, as an interested person, since I am a representative of the indigenous people Sakha, the Head of the Subject of International Law – Non-governmental organization Yakutia — Our Opinion in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council and independent civil activist.

 

4.) Develop, based on the conducted research, Initiatives to end the participation of forcibly mobilized representatives of indigenous peoples in the armed conflict between Ukraine and Russia, as well as Practical measures for their implementation by international subjects and Russian government bodies.

 

5.) Consider conducting the following studies:

— Study «The Impact of Death and Disability of Representatives of Indigenous Peoples of Russia during the Special Military Operation – the Armed Conflict between Ukraine and Russia on the Quality of Life, Human Potential, and Development Prospects of Indigenous Peoples of Russia»,

— Study «Ways to Overcome the Negative Consequences of the Participation of Indigenous Peoples of Russia in the Special Military Operation — the Armed Conflict between Ukraine and Russia»

for the purposes of:

— a more in-depth study of the current situation, an assessment of its development and the development of ways to stabilize the situation,

— development of relevant Initiatives and Practical Measures for implementation by international subjects and Russian government bodies,

-preventing the occurrence of irreversible catastrophic negative consequences for the indigenous peoples of Russia.

 

Objectives of Study and visit to Russia:

— assessment of the situation related to the mass deaths of representatives of the indigenous peoples of Russia during the armed conflict between Ukraine and Russia;

— collection and analysis of information from various sources on the study theme;

— identification and confirmation of the existence of various mechanisms for coercing representatives of indigenous peoples of Russia to recruit into the Russian army for the purpose of participating in the Special Military Operation — the armed conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

 

It is proposed that the visit to Russia be carried out in the areas where the indigenous peoples of Russia are concentrated, primarily in the regions of the North, Siberia, and the Far East.

I propose a rough, sequential itinerary for visiting indigenous peoples of Russia: Republic of Karelia, Arkhangelsk Region, Komi Republic, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Taimyr (Dolgano-Nenets) Autonomous Okrug, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Irkutsk Region, Republic Sakha (Yakutia), Amur Region, Khabarovsk Krai, Primorsky Krai, Magadan Region, Kamchatka Krai, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug.

Representatives of indigenous peoples whose regions are not included in the route can submit information remotely via the Internet.

 

The main contact groups are forcibly mobilized representatives of indigenous peoples — participants in the Special Military Operation, their relatives and loved ones.

Additional contact groups are groups of individuals who were and are directly involved in recruiting for the Russian army:

— representatives of mobilization units of federal and regional government bodies and local government bodies;

— representatives of federal and regional government bodies, local government bodies;

— employees of the Federal Bailiff Service;

— employees of the Federal Penitentiary Service;

— employees of preliminary investigation and inquiry bodies of various law enforcement agencies;

— employees of other bodies and institutions.

Meetings should be held with representatives of indigenous peoples in the institutions of the Federal Penitentiary Service.

The following methods are used to collect information from various contact groups: interviews, surveys, questionnaires, testimony, as well as the presentation of legal acts, internal guidance materials and other documents.

 

The progress of the events, project materials, and changes in the current situation are presented on the website of my Anti-War Project “Assistance in  Peaceful Settlement of Armed Conflict between Ukraine and Russia” at http://ouropinion.pro/?page_id=471 and also on my social networks.

 

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