Officially, they are charged with human trafficking.
Cuban authorities have arrested 17 people on charges of participating in human trafficking and recruiting young Cubans to serve in the Russian army in order to participate in armed conflicts in Ukraine. This was reported by Reuters, citing Colonel Cesar Rodriguez of the Cuban Interior Ministry, who spoke on Cuban television.
The colonel did not disclose the identity of the accused, but noted that the leader of the group relied on two men who actively recruited young Cubans to be sent to the conflict zone in Ukraine on the side of Russia.
Cuban prosecutor Jose Luis Reyes emphasized that the defendants could be sentenced to a variety of punishments, including up to 30 years in prison, life imprisonment and even the death penalty, depending on the severity and nature of their crimes.
A network recruiting Cubans to participate in the Russian-Ukrainian armed conflict was uncovered by Cuban authorities in early September. At the same time, the Cuban authorities emphasized that they do not support mercenaries and do not participate in the war in Ukraine.
We shall remind you that earlier it became known that Turkey was under pressure because of the need to comply with the Montreux convention.