Wartime redemption: From convicted killer to patriotic educator in Russia

Artiom Dilmuradov murdered three people from his acquaintance’s family in 2013. The victims included the father, mother, and partner of his acquaintance. The perpetrator also stole 300,000 rubles (approximately $3,800 CAD). The man was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

When the war in Ukraine started, criminals like Dilmuradov were given a chance at a second life. Thanks to their participation in the aggression against their neighbour, they could receive a pardon. This was also the case with Dilmuradov.

After serving his time, the convicted murderer and Putin’s soldier found a new occupation. He travels and talks about patriotic values and teaches about family. According to the SAW profile, Dilmuradov visited a school in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (on Sakhalin Island), where he held a meeting with children titled "Family is the most important in life!" Could it be that rehabilitation has been highly effective in this case?

Artiom Dilmuradov is yet another example of a criminal who gains hero status in his country for participating in the "special military operation." Many of his front-line comrades return to a criminal path after returning home.

As we recently wrote, a trial is ongoing for a 36-year-old former Wagner member who beat his 18-year-old partner to death by stomping on her stomach. Meanwhile, a 40-year-old former soldier returned to Nizhny Tagil and murdered an 11-year-old girl. Despite these brutal crimes, many prisoners continue to be recruited into the Russian army, and policies towards them remain unchanged. The same goes for the support for the war among the Russian population.