An Iraqi citizen has been sentenced to life in prison for human trafficking for recruiting Iraqis to fight for Russia against Ukraine.
The Najaf Criminal Court said in a statement that the convicted person "formed groups and sent them to fight in foreign countries in exchange for financial compensation" and that the verdict was based on Iraq's anti-human trafficking law.
An Iraqi judicial official and a senior security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity, that Risan Falah Kamel was convicted of recruiting fighters and sending them to fight on the Russian side.
Foreign fighters have joined both sides in the war that began with the Russian invasion in 2022.
This year, Ukrainian officials said a significant number of Chinese nationals were fighting for Russia and that they had collected detailed intelligence on more than 150 mercenaries allegedly recruited by Moscow through social media. China has denied this.
US and South Korean officials also say North Korea has sent thousands of troops and ammunition to help Russia on the battlefield.
Ukrainian officials said at the beginning of the war that more than 20.000 people from 52 countries had come to Ukraine to help it defend itself against Russian aggression. The number of foreign fighters in the ranks of the Ukrainian army was then declared confidential.
Bonus video:
