Photo: life.ru
A court in Yangiyul, Tashkent Region, has sentenced 50-year-old Uzbek citizen A. Mukhtarov to five years in prison for participating in an armed conflict on behalf of a foreign state and for illegal possession of narcotics, UzNews reports.
According to court documents, Mukhtarov traveled to Russia in September 2022, where he responded to an online recruitment ad to join the Wagner Group. He underwent military training at the group’s camp near the village of Molkino and, after signing a contract, took part in combat operations in Ukraine. Mukhtarov sustained serious shrapnel wounds from a grenade and was evacuated to a military hospital. He returned to Uzbekistan in March 2023.
In February of this year, a police search of Mukhtarov’s home uncovered 9.74 grams of marijuana. He told authorities the drugs were for personal use.
Mukhtarov was found guilty under Part 1 of Article 154 (“Mercenarism”) and Part 1 of Article 276 (“Illegal Possession of Narcotics”) of Uzbekistan’s Criminal Code. Taking into account his remorse and lack of prior convictions, the court sentenced him to five years and one month in a general-regime penal colony.
Uzbek authorities have repeatedly warned citizens that joining foreign armed forces under contract constitutes a criminal offense. Article 154 of the Criminal Code stipulates a minimum sentence of five years in prison for mercenarism. However, courts have occasionally issued more lenient sentences — in previous cases, one individual received 2.5 years of community service, and another was sentenced to three years of restricted liberty.
