Calls grow for protection of Uzbek youth in Russian prisons pressured to fight in Ukraine

Since the start of the Russia–Ukraine war, tens of thousands of migrants have been drawn into the conflict. Many, as one of the most vulnerable groups, have been imprisoned on dubious charges and forced into military service under pressure. Mothers who reached out to the newsroom shared harrowing stories of how their sons fell into traps abroad and described the torment they endure in Russian prisons before being sent to the battlefield.

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According to available information, thousands of Uzbek citizens are currently serving prison sentences in different regions of the Russian Federation. Most are young men aged between 18 and 35. Families said their sons had called from prison to tell them that inmates were being taken to fight in Ukraine on Russia’s side.

Parents recounted that their children are suffering in extremely harsh conditions. Many young men are subjected to severe psychological pressure in detention, with some driven to take their own lives. Despite repeated appeals to Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Prosecutor General’s Office, families said they have received no meaningful response.

“Our sons are trapped”

“Thousands of us parents are living through unbearable days. Our children were unjustly thrown into prison in a foreign land. They need help. These are young Uzbek men, between 18 and 35 years old, who could have contributed to our country. Instead, they sit in captivity, helpless,” said one mother.

“If the law does not allow them to be brought home, then at least let them not be sent to the war. Under intense psychological pressure, many young men are sacrificing their lives. What do Uzbek boys have to do with this war between Russia and Ukraine? Why are our children being taken to die on the front lines, thrown into minefields? My son is in prison, not at war – but I cannot guarantee he won’t be sent. Many have disappeared without trace, and some mothers receive their sons’ bodies in coffins.”

The mother said she knew of around 7,000 parents in the same situation. “We unite in WhatsApp and Telegram groups, seeking help and supporting one another. Most of us are single mothers. Our sons have long supported Uzbekistan with their hard work. Is there really no way to bring them back?” she asked.

“My son had a university degree”

Another mother told how her son, a university graduate, went to Russia in January 2023 because he could not find work at home. He had a wife and two children. After months of working, he suddenly stopped contacting the family. She later discovered he had been imprisoned under Article 228, Part 4, on drug-related charges.

“He never even smoked a cigarette. He worked as a delivery driver. I saw with my own eyes the videos he sent of the electrical equipment he delivered. But now he is accused of something he didn’t do,” she said.

The mother described her son’s despair in prison, the lack of food, and his deteriorating health. “He cries on the phone. Last Sunday, he called and sobbed. His teeth are falling out. Guards say he pulled them out himself – how can that be possible? Our children are being framed in Russia. I beg our youth not to go there. Better to lay bricks at home than for us mothers to lose our sons abroad.”

“I am a single mother – both my sons are in prison”

One woman said both her sons were imprisoned in Russia after unknowingly delivering parcels that contained narcotics. They had answered a Telegram ad for courier jobs in Tomsk.

“I hear their voices for two minutes every two weeks. They always start with, ‘Mother, are you well? Can you send us a little money to buy potatoes or onions? We are starving.’ They don’t tell me everything so as not to upset me, but I can sense their suffering,” she said.

The mother added that many young men are eventually forced to join the war to escape the misery of prison. “They say, ‘Better to take a bullet than endure this.’”

Families have formed support groups online, but their appeals remain unanswered. “Our children entered prison alive and healthy. If they simply return to us alive, we will have no regrets,” the mother said.