Migrant recruited into Russian army sentenced to 4 years of restricted freedom in Uzbekistan

In the Fergana region, a court verdict was delivered against 29-year-old Z.T., who participated in combat operations as part of the Russian army. According to court documents, the citizen, who had been in Russia since 2023, received an offer in June 2024, following a court conviction, to work on construction sites in annexed Ukrainian territories in exchange for avoiding his sentence.

In court, Z.T. stated that he was not sent to construction work but was forced to sign a military contract. Along with nearly 500 other migrants, he was taken to the vicinity of Sudzha in the Kursk region, where he served in a group under the call sign "Python," tasked with evacuating the wounded from the battlefield. On December 25, 2024, he suffered a leg injury due to a mine explosion and spent 7 months undergoing treatment in a hospital.

Despite obtaining Russian citizenship and being awarded a medal, Z.T. returned to his homeland in April 2026 with the assistance of the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Moscow. Subsequently, the Kuvasay City Court for Criminal Cases found him guilty under Article 154 (mercenarism) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

According to the court verdict, applying Article 57 of the Criminal Code, the defendant was sentenced to 4 years of restricted freedom. This case serves as a warning to Uzbek migrants abroad, reminding them that participation in armed conflicts on the territory of third countries leads to severe criminal liability.