The controversial pardon of a Russian man who had brutally murdered his ex-girlfriend has sparked global outrage. The Sun reported that Vladislav Kanyus was pardoned by Russian President Vladimir Putin for the heinous crime because he fought against Ukraine.
It has been reported that Kanyus had murdered Vera Pekhteleva after she decided to split with him, He abused her for three-and-a-half hours, raped her and stabbed her 111 times, reports said.
He was pardoned from a 17-year prison sentence six months after serving on the Ukraine war front, the Sun reported.
The victim’s mother Oksana was taken aback by Putin’s decision to allow him to fight in the war after he killed her daughter. “This was a blow at me. My child will rot in her grave,” she told the Sun.
The victim’s mother discovered photographs of him dressed in a military uniform and holding a weapon. She also questioned how “how could a cruel murderer be given a weapon and why is he sent to the front – to defend Russia? “
Citing a woman activist, the Moscow Times reported that prison authorities had confirmed Kanyus’ transfer to southern Russia’s Rostov region, which borders Ukraine. The activist also showed a letter from the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office, in which Kanyus was said to have been pardoned and had his conviction expunged by presidential decree.
Questions have also been raised about the recruitment of tens of thousands of Russian convicts, including those convicted of violent crimes like murder and rape, to serve on the front lines in Ukraine.
The Kremlin has defended its decision to send convicts to the Ukraine war front. Reports suggest that Russia has recruited an estimated 100,000 prisoners to fight in Ukraine.
The recruitment of prisoners to participate in armed conflicts raises ethical questions and has drawn international attention. Russian prisoners sent to fight in Ukraine are “atoning with blood” for their crimes, news agency AFP cited Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying.
“Those convicted, including for serious crimes, are atoning with blood for their crime on the battlefield. They are atoning with blood in storm brigades, under bullets and under shells,” he said.
