Court convicts 25-year-old man for joining Wagner group

The Angren City Criminal Court reviewed the case of U.M., who was charged with participating in hostilities on the territory of a foreign country as part of an illegal armed group.

According to case materials, in July 2021, U.M. traveled to Russia’s Samara region, where he was soon arrested and convicted by the Kirov District Court for drug trafficking. He was serving his sentence in a Russian correctional facility.

While in prison, in November 2022, U.M. joined the Wagner Group – a Russian private military company – despite not being a citizen or a serviceman of a warring country and without obtaining proper authorization. He subsequently took part in the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

For his involvement in the war, U.M. received a monetary reward of 500,000 Russian rubles, as well as medals "For Courage," "For Injury," "For the Capture of Soledar," and was granted Russian citizenship.

He returned to Uzbekistan in October 2024, where he was detained by local law enforcement. Evidence of his participation in the conflict, including documents, photos, and videos in military uniform, were found on his phone.

The court found U.M. guilty under Part 1 of Article 154 of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan (Mercenarism) and sentenced him to five years of restricted freedom.

The court imposed the following restrictions on the convict:

• He must not leave his residence between 9:00 PM and 6:00 AM;
• He cannot change his place of residence without notifying the Ministry of Internal Affairs;
• He is prohibited from leaving Tashkent region or the city of Tashkent without permission from the supervising authority;
• He is banned from using the internet;
• He is forbidden from participating in public gatherings such as celebrations, demonstrations, or rallies;
• He must avoid contact with individuals prone to criminal activity.