The criminal division of the Batken Regional Court has amended the verdict in a large-scale fraud case. The man was found guilty of taking millions in exchange for a promise to free the victims' son from a Russian prison.
The charges and the amount of damage
According to case materials, in May 2023, a man identified as M.E.R., a Russian citizen who was in the territory of the Russian Federation, contacted Uzbek citizens via the WhatsApp messenger. He presented himself as offering a service to "rescue" a young man who had been convicted and was being held in custody in a drug-related case.
The accused, M.E.R., promised that for a fee he would "rescue" the young man from custody, presenting it as a guaranteed service. As a result, funds were transferred to him through a commercial bank in Kyrgyzstan.
In total, the victims suffered material damage of 3 million 213 thousand 706.40 som. Despite the funds received, the young man was never released, and the money paid was not returned.
Changes to the verdict
The appeal upheld the classification of the charges but reduced the sentence from 8 to 7 years 6 months, taking into account the convicted man's age. In addition, expulsion from the country after serving the sentence was added as an additional measure if the convicted person is a foreign citizen.
Context
The case materials were published in the State Register of Court Acts of the Kyrgyz Republic. The accused, M.E.R., is a native of Kadamzhai district and a Russian citizen.
