Bukhara Court Sentences Local Resident to 3.5 Years in Prison for Participation in Foreign Hostilities

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — A court in Bukhara has found a local resident guilty of mercenarism and service in the armed forces of a foreign state, sentencing him to three years and six months of imprisonment to be served in a general-regime penal colony.

According to the case materials, the man had been working in Russia since 2014, where he later obtained citizenship and a military ID.

In 2025, he signed a contract with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and was deployed to the combat zone in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region. During his service, he sustained multiple shrapnel wounds to his lower back, lower leg, and hands.

After returning to Uzbekistan, an inspection of his mobile phone revealed photographs and documents confirming his participation in the hostilities.

At the court hearing, the defendant fully admitted his guilt and asked the court to consider mitigating circumstances, stating that he is the sole breadwinner for his family and is raising a minor child.

Despite the defense’s arguments, the court classified his actions under Articles 154 (Mercenarism) and 154-1 (Entering service in the military, punitive, law enforcement, or other bodies of foreign states) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan and handed down a guilty verdict.