A Kyrgyz man who was handed a suspended seven-year prison term for joining Russia's armed forces and fighting in Ukraine is expected to obtain Russian citizenship, Russian Interior Ministry spokeswoman Irina Volk said over the weekend. Askar Kubanychbek-uulu told Russian journalists that he had fled Kyrgyzstan via neighboring Kazakhstan and is currently in Russia. Meanwhile, according to a ruling in January by Bishkek's Birinchi Mai district court, Kubanychbek-uulu was banned from leaving the Kyrgyz capital while serving a three-year probation period that was part of his seven-year suspended sentence. Kyrgyz authorities have yet to comment on the situation. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, click here.
Kyrgyz Man Convicted Of Being Mercenary To Get Russian Citizenship
Editors' Picks
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.