Shafaq News – Najaf

An Iraqi court in Najaf has identified a six-member international network accused of recruiting Iraqis to fight in Russia against Ukraine, a security source said on Tuesday.

The source told Shafaq News that two members of the network have already been convicted, while four others remain under investigation pending the completion of judicial procedures.

According to the source, the Najaf Criminal Court issued a life sentence on Tuesday against one convicted individual, along with a fine of 15 million Iraqi dinars (about $10,500). “The defendant was found guilty of recruiting Iraqi citizens to fight in Russia, offering financial incentives, housing, and marriage arrangements in return.”

The source added that investigations are ongoing to uncover further details about the network’s activities and its international links, with legal measures to be taken against all those involved.

Shafaq News has previously published investigations documenting cases in which Iraqi families lost contact with relatives who traveled to fight alongside Russian forces in the war against Ukraine, which began on February 24, 2022.

Read more: The Desperate and the Damned: Why thousands of Iraqis are fighting in Ukraine

Russia’s Ambassador to Iraq, Elbrus Kutrashev, revealed to Shafaq News that thousands of Iraqis are ready to join the Russian army if given the opportunity, dismissing as “highly exaggerated” reports about “hundreds or thousands of foreign fighters” serving alongside Russian forces. The ambassador confirmed that only a few Iraqis had joined the Russian army, citing one case of an Iraqi who met the former military attaché at the Russian Embassy while returning home to settle personal matters before heading back to the front.

Read more: Scoop – Thousands of Iraqis willing to enlist in Russian Army