Photo: iz.ru
Trials were held in two regions of Uzbekistan against citizens who took part in the special military operation as part of the Russian army. In both cases, the defendants were found guilty of mercenarism and sentenced to prison, reports UzNews.uz.
The Romitan District Court of Bukhara Region reviewed the case of a 32-year-old man, A.R. According to the investigation, he went to Russia in 2018 for work. Later, he obtained Russian citizenship without renouncing his Uzbek citizenship. In May last year, the migrant was detained by the police and placed in pretrial detention. To avoid trial, he signed a contract with the Ministry of Defense and joined the special military operation.
A.R. actively participated in combat operations in the Lugansk region. In July 2024, he was injured by a missile strike on a military base and hospitalized. After treatment, he was declared unfit for service. He received a payment of 3 million rubles (approximately $38,000) and decided to return home.
Upon his return, a case was opened against him. During a phone inspection, law enforcement discovered documents, photos, and videos confirming his participation in hostilities on behalf of another country. Ultimately, A.R. was found guilty under Article 154 («Mercenarism») of the Uzbek Criminal Code and sentenced to five years in prison.
A similar trial took place in the Altynkul District of Andijan Region. The defendant was a 41-year-old man, Sh.K. According to the case files, he went to work in the city of Nazran in 2023. There, he joined the Russian army and participated in the special military operation from April to December 2024.
It was reported that the migrant sustained several injuries from a shell explosion. Due to his injuries, he was granted leave, during which he was detained by the police. Since Sh.K. had no identification documents, he was deported to Uzbekistan.
Upon his return, the man voluntarily surrendered to law enforcement, admitting his participation in hostilities. At trial, he expressed remorse and asked for leniency. He was convicted of mercenarism under the Criminal Code and sentenced to three years and one month in prison.
