The serviceman was convicted in Nalchik for failing to report for duty.
The Nalchik garrison military court sentenced serviceman Khizir Bukhorov to one year in a penal colony for failing to report for duty during mobilization.
As reported by "Caucasian Knot", on September 24, 2022, parts 2.1, 3.1, and 5 of Article 337 on desertion or leaving the military unit during mobilization were introduced into the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The amendments provide for imprisonment for up to 10 years. The tightening of legislation after the announcement of mobilization led to harsher sentences for absence from the military unit or desertion.
On September 21, 2022, Vladimir Putin announced partial mobilization. On October 28 of the same year, the Minister of Defense reported to the president about its completion, but no corresponding decree followed. Lawyers concluded that a presidential decree is not needed to complete partial mobilization, explained Putin's press secretary. At the same time, on December 12, 2023, a military court in Maykop emphasized in the sentence of a mobilized individual who left the unit in June 2023 that "partial mobilization has been declared in the Russian Federation, which was not completed at the time the crime was committed."
Bukhorov was charged with failing to report for duty during mobilization for more than ten days but not more than a month (part 3.1 of Article 337 of the Criminal Code of Russia). The article provides for up to seven years of imprisonment.
According to the prosecution's version, on April 14, 2026, Bukhorov failed to report to the designated time at the organized departure point of the military unit stationed in Mozdok without valid reasons. Until May 2, he "spent time at his discretion at his place of residence," where he was found by a military commandant officer. The serviceman spent 18 days at home.
In determining the sentence, the court took into account that Bukhorov "realized the illegality of his actions, truthfully described it, and expressed regret for what he had done." At the same time, the court noted that the defendant committed a serious crime against military service, "negatively affecting the performance of daily combat training tasks," according to a statement from the press service of the Nalchik garrison military court on its "VKontakte" page.
Bukhorov was sentenced to one year of imprisonment in a general regime colony. He was taken into custody in the courtroom and placed in a pre-trial detention center. Whether Bukhorov admitted guilt is not specified in the court's statement.
The court's statement only mentions the last name of the convicted individual; in the records of the Nalchik garrison military court, the accused under this article is listed as Khizir Bukhorov. The case was submitted to the court on July 9 and was considered in a closed session, with the sentence delivered on July 15.
The reasons for the closed hearing are not specified. Bukhorov's age, military rank, and place of residence, as well as the number of the military unit, are not mentioned in the court's statement. The "Caucasian Knot" currently has no comments from the convicted individual or his lawyer regarding plans to appeal the sentence.
"Caucasian Knot" also reported that earlier the court in Nalchik sentenced serviceman Ravil Sadikov to one year of imprisonment, while serviceman Idris Khashagulgov, who was absent from the unit for nine months, received a five-year sentence.