Uzbek citizen in Russia alleges police tried to force him into war

A citizen of Uzbekistan has reportedly been pressured by Russian police to join the war in Ukraine, according to a report by "Nastoyashchee Vremya."

The man, identified as Yusuf, was working in Moscow when he was detained during a police raid targeting migrants. He claims that at the police station, officers forced him to sign a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense.

“They told me, ‘You are going to war.’ I replied that I am a citizen of Uzbekistan and I will not go to war,” Yusuf recounted.

He alleges that police officers tried to coerce him by using both threats and physical violence.

“They took my passport and found out I had a loan. Then they offered: ‘We’ll pay off your loan if you go to war.’ They hit me twice with a baton under my ankle and said, ‘Why won’t you go? You will go.’ Then they grabbed me by the neck and pushed me against the wall. They realized I wouldn’t agree. I told them to contact the embassy. Ten minutes later, they let me go,” he said.

Yusuf contacted the Uzbek embassy in Russia for help, but according to him, he received no assistance. He currently owes the bank 400,000 rubles.

Human rights activist Valentina Chupik stated that Russian authorities are increasingly using migrants' debts as leverage to pressure them into military service.

Yusuf said that even after contacting the embassy, the harassment continued. He was stopped again, his debts were brought up, and officers again tried to persuade him to sign a military contract. His calls to the embassy went unanswered. Ultimately, Yusuf decided to temporarily return to Uzbekistan.

“Yusuf says he must return to Russia to earn money and pay off his loan. However, he fears he may once again be pressured into going to war,” the report concludes.

For context, under Articles 154 and 154-1 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan, it is illegal for Uzbek citizens to join the military, police, or similar bodies of foreign states, or to be recruited to take part in military conflicts in another country for material or personal benefit.

Previously, a citizen of Uzbekistan from Kushtepa district in the Fergana region was sentenced to five years in prison for joining military operations in Ukraine. On November 24, 2023, he signed a one-year contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense and fought as part of the Russian forces in the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic. He was seriously injured by a drone attack while crossing the border and was later treated in a Moscow hospital. He was convicted under Article 154, Part 1 of the Uzbek Criminal Code.