The Uchkurghan District Court in Uzbekistan’s Namangan Region has sentenced a 51-year-old man, identified as K., to five years in prison for serving in the Russian military in 2024. The ruling was obtained by the news outlet UzNews.uz.
According to court documents, in May 2023, the defendant traveled to Khorolsk, a town in Russia’s Primorsky Krai, where he found employment on a farm. In early 2024, he was involved in a physical altercation that resulted in injuries to another individual. He was subsequently detained and placed in a temporary holding facility.
While in custody, K. was reportedly given two options: serve five years in prison or enlist in the military to participate in the armed conflict in Ukraine. He was promised monetary compensation in the event of injury and expedited Russian citizenship. Under pressure from other detainees, he agreed to deploy to the front.
In March 2024, K. took the military oath. After completing training, he was assigned the role of rifleman. He obtained Russian citizenship but deserted his unit later that year, leaving Russia in November using his Uzbek passport.
In court, K. partially admitted guilt. He testified that he had served in Mariupol but never fought on the front lines. He completed preparatory training but was never allowed to operate a rocket-propelled grenade launcher and instead was assigned to work as a cook. The defendant maintained that he joined the army under coercion and asked for leniency.
Ultimately, K. was convicted under Part 1 of Article 154 (“Mercenarism”) of Uzbekistan’s Criminal Code and sentenced to five years in a general-regime penal colony.
