Navoi woman jailed for recruiting citizens to fight in Ukraine war

The woman, who sought to profit by recruiting citizens to fight in Russia’s war against Ukraine, has now been convicted.

According to the court ruling, N.U., born in 1981, lived in Navoi city and had previously been convicted of fraud.

In October 2024, acting on a proposal from a suspect in a separate case, she traveled to Samara. There, she and the other individual drew up a criminal plan to involve Uzbek citizens in the war against Ukraine for financial gain.

In January 2025, the woman returned home. She promised citizen A.P. a salary of $4,000–7,000 per month, claiming he could earn up to $40,000 in a year by fighting in Ukraine. She then sent his foreign passport details to her accomplice in Russia via WhatsApp. Later, as she attempted to send the man to Russia through the “Navoi” border customs post in Tashkent region on the way to Kazakhstan, she was detained by the SSS Navoi regional department.

At trial, N.U. fully admitted her guilt and expressed regret, asking the court for leniency.

By the verdict of the Karmana district criminal court, N.U. was found guilty under Article 25 in conjunction with Article 154, Part 2 of the Criminal Code (recruiting, training, financing or otherwise providing material support to a mercenary, as well as using them in armed conflict or military operations). Applying Article 57 of the Criminal Code, the court sentenced her to three years in prison.

The appellate panel of the Navoi regional criminal court upheld the initial verdict without changes.