An individual organized groups dispatched to engage in combat, motivated by financial gain or the hope of eventually reaching Europe.
Published On 29 Sep 2025
The Najaf Criminal Court has handed down a life imprisonment sentence to an Iraqi national convicted of trafficking individuals to Russia for participation in the conflict against Ukraine.
According to a brief statement released Monday, the court noted that the defendant, alongside accomplices, assembled groups that were dispatched to fight abroad in return for monetary compensation. The life sentence was imposed under a 2012 statute that prohibits the recruitment or transportation of persons for exploitative purposes.
An Iraqi judicial source and a senior security official, both speaking anonymously due to restrictions on public commentary, identified the convicted man as Risan Falah Kamel, as reported by The Associated Press.
No further identities have been disclosed, and the formal indictment document remains unpublished.
Throughout the ongoing conflict, now entering its fourth year, thousands of foreign combatants have joined both Russian and Ukrainian forces.
In early September, Iraq’s Parliamentary Foreign Relations Committee confirmed the involvement of Iraqi citizens fighting alongside Russian troops.
The committee also pledged to intensify investigations and implement measures aimed at curbing this trend.
Local Iraqi media outlets have estimated that several thousand Iraqis are engaged on Russia’s side, attracted either by financial incentives or the prospect of using Russia as a stepping stone to migrate to Europe.
Meanwhile, American and South Korean intelligence reports reveal that North Korea has deployed thousands of soldiers and supplied substantial ammunition to support Russia, particularly during Ukraine’s ground offensive near Russia’s Kursk region.
Earlier this month in Beijing, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met and lauded the strengthening military alliance between their nations.
Putin commended the courage and valor of North Korean troops who fought alongside Russian forces in repelling Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk. Kim reciprocated by highlighting the significant enhancement of cooperation since the strategic partnership agreement signed in June 2024.
“If there is any way I can assist you and the Russian people, any further actions required, I will regard it as a fraternal responsibility and am ready to do everything possible to provide support,” Kim stated.
Last year, Russian forces captured a British citizen fighting with Ukrainian units in the Kursk area.
This year, Ukrainian authorities reported the detection and arrest of several Chinese nationals fighting for Russia.
Although China has supported Russia’s economy during the conflict, it has refrained from supplying weapons or military hardware, maintaining a stance of neutrality and advocating for diplomatic solutions.
