A court in Uzbekistan has issued verdicts against two citizens for serving in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation as 'contract soldiers'.
Both individuals were found guilty under Part 1 of Article 154 of the Criminal Code — ‘Mercenarism,’ which carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, local media outlets reported.
One of them is a 32-year-old man who initially travelled to Russia in 2018 in search of job opportunities. He later obtained Russian citizenship, but retained his Uzbek passport. In July 2024, he signed a one-year contract for military service. On 27 July, he was wounded during hostilities and hospitalized.
Last September, he was recognized as unfit for service, and he returned to Uzbekistan. During a mobile phone inspection, authorities found out evidence of his participation in military operations. He was found guilty and sentenced to five years in prison.
Another man is a 41-year-old Uzbek citizen who travelled to Nazran, Ingushetia, in 2023 as labour migrant. There, he signed a military contract and participated in combat from April to December 2024. He was later granted leave due to injuries.
While on leave, he was detained for not having identification documents and subsequently deported to Uzbekistan. Upon arrival, he voluntarily surrendered to law enforcement. The Andijan Regional Court sentenced him to three years and one month in prison.
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