In Kyrgyzstan, a man who fought in Ukraine on the side of Russia was sentenced to 10 years in prison for mercenarism. This decision was made by the Pervomaisky District Court of Bishkek.
The court found that the convicted person joined the armed groups of the “LPR” in June 2022 in order to subsequently obtain Russian citizenship. He received the position of deputy commander of a combat vehicle and a salary of 180 thousand rubles a month.
Initially, he was engaged in the transportation of weapons and ammunition to the front line near Soledar, then in September 2022 he was relocated to Popasnaya. There he brought material support, including food and clothing, being responsible for the delivery of material support for the forces of the "LNR". In November of the same year, he filed a letter of resignation, after which he went back to Kyrgyzstan.
At the trial, the accused did not admit his guilt and insisted that he did not participate in hostilities, but was engaged in the delivery of food and humanitarian aid to the population of the occupied territories of Ukraine. He wrote the report, according to him, because of the need to care for his sick father.
As Mediazona notes , there is an article in the Criminal Code of Kyrgyzstan for participation in military conflicts of other states. The defendants face up to 15 years in prison. In September 2022, the Embassy of Kyrgyzstan in Russia warned the citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic about this.