Two citizens of Uzbekistan were convicted upon their return from the Russian army. This information was provided by the publication UzNews.uz, citing court decisions from the Fergana and Navoi regions.
The first case concerns a 49-year-old resident of Fergana with the initials L. S., who was accused of mercenarism. The court proceedings took place in the Besharyk District Court. According to the information presented in the case materials, in May 2023, he went to Russia in search of work but was unable to obtain a work permit. As a result, he turned to the military enlistment office, where he signed a contract and received 70,000 rubles, after which he was transferred to the military unit "Kamenka." L. S. also received additional sums of 50,000 and 170,000 rubles, and then received up to 150,000 rubles monthly. He was issued migration documents and arranged transfers totaling $420 and 45,000 rubles in cash.
In "Kamenka," he was assigned the rank of private, issued a uniform, and sent to a combat zone. From July 27, 2023, he participated in various combat operations as part of the Russian armed forces, including conflicts in the Luhansk region. The verdict states that he provided fire support and participated in clashes.
During his service, L. S. was injured several times, including shrapnel wounds from artillery shelling. After treatment, he returned to the conflict zone, but in June 2024, after sustaining another injury, he was demobilized due to health reasons and returned to Uzbekistan in September.
At the trial, he admitted his guilt, expressed remorse, and stated that he is the sole breadwinner for his family, which consists of his wife, a minor child, and a student son. The court found him guilty under part 1 of Article 154 of the Criminal Code ("Mercenarism") and imposed a three-year restriction of freedom.
The second case concerns a 28-year-old resident of the Khatyrchin district named S. S. The court in the Navoi region also issued a ruling on his case. S. S. went to Russia in 2021 in search of work, and in April 2025, he signed a contract with the Russian armed forces for one year.
After completing military training, which included instruction on handling firearms and drones, S. S. was sent to the Luhansk region, where he sustained injuries as a result of a drone attack. After hospitalization, he returned to Uzbekistan and reported the incident to law enforcement. An examination confirmed that he had moderate bodily injuries.
At the trial, S. S. admitted his guilt and stated that he was in a difficult life situation. The court classified his actions under part 1 of Article 154 of the Criminal Code and, considering mitigating circumstances — his admission of guilt, remorse, and the presence of a family with a small child — applied Article 57 of the Criminal Code, allowing for a sentence that does not involve imprisonment.
The court sentenced S. S. to a four-year restriction of freedom, prohibiting him from leaving his place of residence without permission and imposing several other restrictions.
