In Andijan province, a local taxi driver recruited people for the war in Ukraine. The man conspired with a Russian national to recruit Uzbeks into the Russian armed forces. For each new recruit he was promised one thousand dollars.
The taxi driver decided to offer clients to join the Russian army in the invasion of Ukraine, promising them big money, Russian citizenship and many other incentives. In the summer of 2024, he offered a contract to several people, one of whom agreed. The taxi driver bought him a ticket and tried to send him to Russia, but was caught by law enforcement at the Fergana airport.
At the trial, the man pleaded guilty and told his story. It turned out that before driving clients around Andijan, he worked in Russia at a toothpaste factory, where he met a Russian citizen who offered him a part-time job as a recruiter. In December 2023, he offered jobs in the conflict zone – in a bakery or construction crew.
The man replied that he himself could not go because of deportation, but he could find others. During the recruitment, he said that the "applicants" would not have to fight, they would be doing security and cleaning jobs, while they would be given a uniform, a salary of 3 thousand dollars and an opportunity to obtain citizenship. At the trial, he repented of his actions, stating that he did not realize the criminal nature of his actions.
The Markhamat district criminal court sentenced Furkatbek Khasanov guilty under Attempt to recruit, train, finance or otherwise provide material support for mercenaries and their use in armed conflicts charge and sentenced him to 7 years and 1 month in prison.
