A court in Tashkent convicted a 38-year-old Uzbek man who fought against Ukraine in the ranks of the self-proclaimed "DPR". Ildar Khairulin was found guilty of mercenary. He was sentenced to five years in prison. This is the first such sentence in the country, reports the "Uzbek Radio Liberty" service.
According to the investigation, the man took part in hostilities against Ukraine in 2014-2015. In particular, the prosecution showed Khairulinʼs profile on the "Myrotvorets" website. Also, the investigators claim that they found screenshots in his phone that confirm the guilt.
However, relatives claim that the man did not take part in the war in Ukraine, did not go there and was in Russia at the time of the accusation. According to them, Khairulin took the photo posted on Mirotvorka in Russia, he has never been to Ukraine, and the weapon in the photo is not a firearm, but a pneumatic one. Khairulin himself also did not confess to the crime.
His relatives intend to appeal the verdict in the appeals court.
- Earlier, Uzbekistan stated that it does not recognize the self-proclaimed "DPR" and "LPR" and advocates the territorial integrity of Ukraine.