Iraqi Man Sentenced to Life for Trafficking Fighters to Join Russian War in Ukraine

An Iraqi man has been sentenced to life in prison for trafficking individuals to fight for Russia in its ongoing war against Ukraine, in what is believed to be the first case of its kind in Iraq.

The Najaf Criminal Court announced on Monday that the man had organized and sent groups of people to fight in a foreign conflict in exchange for money. The court issued the life sentence under a 2012 law that criminalizes recruiting or transporting individuals for exploitation.

Judicial and security sources later identified the man as Risan Falah Kamel, though no further names or details about the network have been released. The official text of the indictment has not been made public.

According to Iraqi officials, many of those recruited were reportedly promised financial rewards or hoped to use Russia as a stepping stone to reach Europe. Local media have estimated that thousands of Iraqi nationals may be fighting on the Russian side, though this has not been independently verified.

Earlier this month, Iraq’s parliamentary Foreign Relations Committee confirmed the presence of Iraqis in the conflict and pledged to investigate further.

The issue reflects a broader trend in the conflict, which has entered its fourth year. Thousands of foreign fighters have joined both Russian and Ukrainian forces since the war began. In recent months, Ukraine has reported detaining Chinese nationals fighting for Russia, and last year, a British national fighting for Ukraine was captured in the Russian border region of Kursk.

North Korea has also reportedly sent thousands of soldiers and large volumes of ammunition to aid Russian forces, especially during Ukraine’s offensives in the border areas. This military cooperation was recently affirmed during talks in Beijing between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Both leaders praised their growing alliance, with Kim calling it a “fraternal duty” to support Russia.

China, meanwhile, continues to back Russia economically but has avoided direct military involvement, maintaining a formal position of neutrality and calling for diplomacy to end the conflict.

The case in Iraq underscores the increasingly global dimensions of the war in Ukraine and the complex networks now involved in recruitment and participation. Iraqi authorities say further legal actions are likely as investigations continue.