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A resident of the Fergana region who participated in Russia’s Special Military Operation (SMO) has been convicted under Part 1 of Article 154 (“Mercenarism”) of Uzbekistan’s Criminal Code, Kun.uz reported.
A.Kh., born in 2002 in the Kushtepa district, left for Moscow in November 2022 to pursue studies. While attending a private university, he decided to enlist in the Russian army in pursuit of financial gain. On August 23, 2023, he signed a contract with Russia’s Armed Forces to take part in combat operations against Ukraine, with a monthly salary ranging from 350,000 to 400,000 rubles. From October 2023 to February 2024, he participated in battles in Luhansk and Donetsk.
In court in Uzbekistan, A.Kh. fully admitted his guilt and described how he ended up in the army. He explained that in the summer of 2023, he was detained in Moscow due to a lack of proper documents and was given two options: face criminal charges and deportation, or serve under contract with the prospect of obtaining Russian citizenship. A.Kh. signed a one-year contract.
“At the enlistment point, I underwent a medical examination and was sent to a temporary holding camp in the Moscow region. According to the contract, my salary was about 195,000 rubles per month,” A.Kh. said in court.
In October 2023, after a month and a half of military training, the Uzbek national was deployed to Luhansk.
“I fought there for four months, and on February 10, 2024, we were transferred to the Donetsk region. Due to injuries sustained during combat, I underwent treatment at a hospital in Donetsk until February 26, 2024,” the defendant stated.
After his treatment, A.Kh. returned to Tolyatti, where he purchased a car and took out a mortgage on an apartment using earnings from his military service. He was also awarded a medal and granted Russian citizenship.
On September 14, 2024, A.Kh. left his military unit without permission to register his car, which led to a conflict with his commander. He then decided to terminate his contract and return to Uzbekistan due to his mother’s severe illness.
A court in the Fergana region found A.Kh. guilty under the article on mercenarism and sentenced him to five years in prison, which was later reclassified to a suspended sentence with a probationary period of three years. The date of the verdict was not disclosed by the publication.
Previously, another native of the Kushtepa district with the same initials—A.Kh.—had been sentenced to five years in prison under the same article.
