The Hazorasp District Court (Khorezm region of Uzbekistan) sentenced one Samanar Annamuradov, 46, to 10 years imprisonment as a mercenary. Materials of the case provided by the prosecution indicate that in 1998 Annamuradov, not being a citizen of a country at war, not authorized to accomplish combat missions, and only motivated by his personal fiscal and otherwise interests joined units under field commander Hattab in Serzhen-Yurt, Chechnya, fighting the Russian army. It is an offense in the eyes of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan.Annamuradov denied the intention or willingness to join gunmen and said he had been in Chechnya under coercion. According to the defendant, he had come to Grozny seeking a job, met a Chechen in the mosque, and accompanied him to Serzhen-Yurt. Once in Serzhen-Yurt, Annamuradov was turned over to some Arab. Annamuradov became his mechanic. He did other odd technical jobs as well.
The defendant said he had been invited to join gunmen. Annamuradov declined the offer and was eventually permitted to go home to Uzbekistan. Once there, he was careful not to let out the fact of his stay in Chechnya. The jury decided that the offense was deliberate. Annamuradov had been already tried and imprisoned for religious extremist literature proliferation. His guilt was proved by witness testimony and materials compiled by the prosecution.