Uzbek Citizen - The Times Of Central Asia

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Military Service

Uzbek Consulate Assists Citizen Misled into Russian Army Contract

Uzbekistan’s Consulate General in St. Petersburg has intervened to assist an Uzbek citizen who was allegedly misled into signing a contract to serve in the Russian Armed Forces, the Consulate announced on November 12. According to the Consulate, a citizen identified as K.M. appealed for help after their child, K.R., reportedly signed the contract while held in pre-trial detention in Kolpino, Leningrad Region. K.R. had been taken into custody on charges of intentionally inflicting minor bodily harm on another Uzbek national. K.M. told consular officials that K.R. suffers from serious mental health issues and had been deceived into agreeing to military service while in detention. The parent requested that the Consulate assist in nullifying the agreement. The Consulate stated that it had promptly contacted the relevant Russian authorities, including the Human Rights Commissioner for Leningrad Region, urging a review of the case and protection of the detainee’s legal rights. As a result of these efforts, Russian officials acknowledged K.R.’s objections to military service. The Consulate confirmed that no military contract was finalized and that the detainee was returned to the Kolpino detention center, where the investigation remains ongoing. The Consulate emphasized that it is closely monitoring the case and will continue to safeguard the legal rights and interests of the Uzbek citizen. The Times of Central Asia has previously reported on several instances in which Central Asian migrants have faced pressure to join Russia’s military amid recruitment campaigns targeting foreign nationals, particularly migrant workers.

Russian-Ukrainian war

Uzbek Man Forced into Russian Army Pleads for Help to Return Home from Ukraine

A 31-year-old Uzbek citizen from Bukhara, Zukhriddin Yuldoshev, who was forcibly recruited into the Russian army, surrendered to Ukrainian forces almost immediately after arriving at the front. His case, reported by Nexta Live and other media outlets, highlights the growing number of Central Asian nationals being coerced into Russia’s war against Ukraine. According to Yuldoshev, Russian police planted narcotics on him and threatened him with a prison sentence of 12 to 18 years unless he signed a military contract. “I was given two choices: prison or the front,” he said. After arriving at the battlefield, he was quickly detected by a Ukrainian drone and surrendered without resistance. Yuldoshev described dire conditions within the Russian military, saying he had to purchase his own communication equipment and gear. He also spoke of widespread disarray and deception among Russian troops. “There were so many dead bodies that there was nowhere to step,” he recalled. He says he has no intention of returning to Russia and is appealing to the Uzbek government for assistance in returning home. In a June report, Ukraine’s military intelligence stated that citizens of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and other Central Asian countries are increasingly being coerced or misled into joining the Russian war effort. Many had initially traveled to Russia as labor migrants and were later pressured into signing military contracts, often with promises of fast cash. Ukrainian officials say many of these recruits are deployed to the most dangerous sections of the front and face high casualty rates. The forced conscription of migrants has drawn increasing criticism from human rights groups, who argue the practice violates international law. Yuldoshev’s plea for repatriation places added pressure on the Uzbek government to act on behalf of its citizens caught up in Russia’s war.

Fraud

Uzbek National in U.S. Faces Deportation Following Voter Fraud Conviction

An Uzbek citizen, Sanjar Djamilov, is facing deportation from the United States after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit voter registration fraud, according to a U.S. court ruling reported by Florida Politics. Djamilov, 33, who resides in St. Petersburg, Florida, was sentenced to time served and placed under supervised release pending deportation. He has been remanded to the custody of U.S. Marshals and is awaiting processing by the Bureau of Customs and Immigration. If deported, he will be barred from re-entering the U.S. without explicit government authorization. The court imposed a $100 assessment on Djamilov, but waived restitution and other fees. According to investigators, Djamilov and a Russian national, Dmitry Shushlebin, submitted 132 fraudulent voter registration applications to the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections between February and March 2023. The applications were flagged for identical formatting, repeated typographical errors, sequential Social Security numbers, and recurring birth dates, raising immediate suspicion. Authorities say the pair also submitted change-of-address forms to the U.S. Postal Service to redirect official mail to three addresses under their control. The case was jointly investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, following a referral from the Florida Department of State’s Office of Election Crimes and Security. In an April 2025 plea agreement, Djamilov admitted that Shushlebin had hired him and others to submit more than 100 fraudulent applications. While Djamilov has now been sentenced, Shushlebin has also pleaded guilty but is still awaiting sentencing. Djamilov had faced up to five years in prison for his involvement. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, 131 citizens from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan were repatriated from the U.S. on a special charter flight in May 2025. Funded by the Uzbek government, the operation reflected growing cooperation between Washington and Tashkent on migration and security issues.

Real estate

Uzbek Citizen Purchases Luxury Apartment in Seoul for Over $5 Million in Cash

An Uzbek citizen has purchased a high-end apartment in Seoul, South Korea, for 7.4 billion won (approximately $5.09 million), according to a report by the Korean publication Choson Biz. The property is located in Banpo Xi, a prestigious residential complex in Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul. With a dedicated area of 244 square meters, the apartment was sold at the highest recorded price for the complex, surpassing the previous record by 300 million won. The transaction took place in November last year. The buyer, a 41-year-old Uzbek national whose given address is in Tashkent and is identified only as "A", is registered under the “Korea-Uzbekistan Traditional Medicine Clinic” in Tashkent, a center that promotes traditional medicine and provides acupuncture training for Uzbek doctors. Official records indicate that the property transfer was registered on the 28th. Reports suggest that the buyer paid the full amount in cash, as no mortgage was listed on the property deed. Banpo Xi, a large residential complex with 3,410 units, is also home to several South Korean celebrities, including comedian Park Jun-hyung, Kim Ji-hye, and actress Yeo Jeong-a. The purchase comes amid a rising trend of foreign real estate investment in South Korea. As of June 2023, nearly 100,000 housing units in the country were owned by foreigners, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport. Chinese buyers lead the list, owning 52,798 units (55.5%), followed by U.S. nationals with 21,360 units (22.5%). Canadians hold 6,225 units (6.5%), while Taiwanese and Australians own 3,307 (3.5%) and 1,894 (2.0%) units, respectively.