Detainees Released Under House Arrest: Recruitment Case Update
Title: Two Detained in Mercenary Recruitment Case Released Under House Arrest
Date: April 28, 2025
Bishkek – In a significant development, two of the four individuals detained in connection with alleged recruitment of mercenaries for the Russian army have been released under house arrest, as confirmed by the press service of the Pervomaisky District Court.
Initially, the detainees included Natalia Sekerina, an employee of the Russian House in Osh, and Sergei Lapushkin, a member of the press service at the Osh City Hall, among others. They face serious charges related to the recruitment, financing, and support of mercenaries intended for armed conflicts and actions aimed at undermining state authority and territorial integrity under the Kyrgyz Criminal Code.
On April 25, the court accepted a petition from the investigator of the Main Investigation Department of the State Committee for National Security to modify the detention conditions for two of the accused, identified as S.N.V. and S.V.T., allowing for their transition to house arrest.
Additionally, on the same day, Kamchybek Tashiev, Chairman of the State Committee for National Security, held a meeting with Sergei Vakunov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Kyrgyzstan. Reports indicate they discussed the circumstances surrounding the detention of several freelance employees associated with Rossotrudnichestvo, who are citizens of Kyrgyzstan. Given the nature of the alleged offenses, a decision was made to adjust the measures of restraint for some detainees to house arrest.
Among the detained is Viktor Vasiliev, a figure described in the media as a political scientist and Africanist. The identity of the fourth detainee remains undisclosed.
This case highlights ongoing concerns about the recruitment of mercenaries and the implications it holds for national security in Kyrgyzstan. Further developments are awaited as the judicial process unfolds.
