Photo:ria.ru
The Criminal Court of Bustan District in Uzbekistan’s Andijan Region has sentenced a 24-year-old local resident, identified as O.Kh., to three years in prison for participating in Russia’s special military operation (SMO). The verdict was announced on February 6, according to Gazeta.uz.
According to the investigation, in January 2025 the Uzbek citizen traveled to Russia for employment. He initially found work at a facility located on the grounds of Vnukovo Airport. However, when attempting to formalize his migration documents, he was reportedly informed that he had violated immigration regulations and faced deportation.
Needing income, O.Kh. decided to continue working despite the risk. In April, an acquaintance offered him another job at Domodedovo Airport. While traveling to a meeting in the town of Istra, he was detained by police. According to his testimony, officers at the station “forced him to sign some document.”
Investigators believe this document was a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense. Three days later, he was taken to a military training ground, issued a uniform, a mobile phone, and bank cards, and underwent combat training.
Subsequently, he was deployed with other servicemen to Luhansk. On May 8, their unit was attacked by a drone.
“My comrades were killed, and I managed to hide. However, the drone explosion injured my leg,” the defendant told investigators.
After receiving treatment in a hospital, he returned to Moscow and later flew back to Uzbekistan.
The defendant fully admitted guilt, expressed remorse, and requested a non-custodial sentence.
The court found him guilty under Part 1 of Article 154 (“Mercenarism”) of Uzbekistan’s Criminal Code. Applying Article 57 (“Imposition of a More Lenient Sentence”), the court sentenced him to three years’ imprisonment in a general-regime colony.
As previously reported, Uzbek authorities have repeatedly initiated criminal proceedings under the mercenarism statute. Some defendants have received custodial sentences, while others were sentenced to restricted freedom.
In November 2025, the State Security Service of Uzbekistan reported that since 2022, 338 criminal cases had been opened in the country in connection with citizens’ participation in armed conflicts abroad.
