Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The General Consulate of Uzbekistan in Kazan has issued a warning to compatriots in Russia about the legal repercussions of joining the armed forces of foreign countries.

According to Article 154 of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan, mercenarism, defined as participating in armed conflict or military actions on the side of a foreign state by a person who is not a citizen or serviceman of the state involved in the conflict, nor a permanent resident in the territory controlled by the conflicting party, and not authorized by any state to carry out official duties within the armed forces for the purpose of obtaining material reward or personal gain, is punishable by imprisonment for a term of 5 to 10 years.

Under Article 154-1 of the Criminal Code, a citizen of Uzbekistan entering military service, security services, police, military justice, or similar bodies of foreign states may face a fine of up to 300 basic calculation amounts (9 million sums) or corrective labor for up to 3 years. Recruitment for such service can result in a penalty of up to 5 years of imprisonment.

In light of this, the General Consulate of Uzbekistan has urged compatriots abroad to refrain from joining foreign armed forces and participating in combat actions.

The diplomatic mission reminded that such actions carry criminal liability, as emphasized in the statement.