On February 23, the court in Uzbekistan District, Fergana Region, sentenced a 39-year-old citizen, R.E., for participating in the Russia-Ukraine war on the Russian side. According to court documents, the defendant traveled to Russia in September 2024 seeking work and was employed in construction in Krasnodar Krai. He testified that in October 2024, an acquaintance offered him a job as a truck driver, which later turned out to be a deception.
The defendant stated in court that due to his lack of Russian language proficiency, he signed contracts and documents presented to him without understanding their content. He was then taken to Moscow, where after discussions with individuals of Russian ethnicity, he signed further documents. Subsequently, he was sent to Rostov Oblast, traveling in a bus with over 20 young men of Uzbek, Kazakh, Arab, Tajik, and Russian ethnicities. They were taken to a military training site named "Avangard."
R.E. claimed that at the site, the acquaintance deceived him into signing a contract for recruitment into the Russian Armed Forces, misrepresenting it as a driver's agreement. He underwent 10 days of military training, including automatic rifle shooting and military exercises. On November 23, 2024, he was officially enlisted into the Russian army with the rank of private. Per the contract, he received 2 million rubles, which were transferred to his wife's bank card. He was then deployed to Tokmak city in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine.
The defendant reported that Tokmak was occupied by Russian forces, and he participated in defensive operations, constructing military fortifications and digging trenches. He noted that many recruits into the Russian army had died during combat, and upon witnessing this, he became frightened and contacted his wife via Telegram to explain the situation. His wife then reported the matter to the Uzbekistan District internal affairs department.
In court, the defendant's brother, M.E., testified as a witness, stating that in January 2025, his brother informed him of being tricked into joining the Russian army. The brother suggested leaving the army and returning to Uzbekistan, but the defendant replied that discharge before the contract's end was not permitted. The contract expired on November 24, 2025, after which he was sent back to Uzbekistan via Moscow and was detained by internal affairs officers upon arrival at Fergana Airport.
The defendant fully admitted guilt in court, expressed sincere remorse for his actions, and requested leniency. The court's verdict considered mitigating circumstances, including his confession, remorse, lack of prior convictions, positive character references from his residence, status as the sole breadwinner in his family, and having minor dependents.
Based on this, the court found R.E. guilty under Part 1 of Article 154 of the Criminal Code (Recruitment) and, applying Article 57 of the Criminal Code (Imposition of a Lighter Punishment), sentenced him to 3 years of imprisonment. The sentence is to be served in general regime colonies.
Source: www.gazeta.uz