Trial of Former Wagner Mercenary Underway in Almaty

The trial of Timur Praliev, a Kazakhstan citizen who fought in Ukraine as part of the Wagner PMC and was detained while attempting to illegally enter the United States, is underway in Almaty, Orda.kz reports.

Background

According to court documents, the Almaly District Court accepted Praliev’s criminal case under Article 172 of the Criminal Code of Kazakhstan (“Participation in foreign armed conflicts”) on July 15. On September 2, the court authorized his father, Galimzhan Praliev, to act as his public defender.

Praliev has already stood before a U.S. court. On January 4, he was arrested in Texas while attempting to cross the Mexico–U.S. border illegally. He carried two passports — Kazakhstani and Russian — along with $7,000, partly in Mexican pesos.

He testified that he was a citizen of Kazakhstan who had served in Wagner, which fought in the Russian-Ukrainian war. Media reports later revealed he had been recognized as a combat veteran in Russia and issued an official certificate.

How he reached Mexico and what he intended to do in the United States remains unclear.

Details Emerge

However, the U.S. outlet Valley Central published a court report in January offering insight into his case. The U.S. prosecutor requested 15 days of immigration detention, citing Wagner’s designation as a criminal organization. Praliev’s lawyer countered that Wagner was “no different” from the American PMC Blackwater (now Academi).

Judge Scott Hacker sentenced Praliev to time served in immigration detention but ruled he would remain under federal supervision until deportation.

When asked if he had anything to say, Praliev replied “No” in Russian. The judge ended the hearing with “Buena suerte” (“All the best” in Spanish).

Legal Reprecussions

Praliev was immediately taken back into custody and later deported to Kazakhstan.

U.S. authorities may have warned their Kazakh counterparts of the deportation. Upon arrival, he was detained by Kazakhstan's security services. In Kazakhstan, he faces charges under Article 172 and must explain how he obtained a Russian passport, as dual citizenship is prohibited.

If convicted, Praliev faces five to nine years in prison.

He is not the only Kazakh national known to have fought in Ukraine. In July 2025, a 24-year-old Kazakhstani native was granted Russian citizenship after being wounded while fighting for Russia.

Original Author: Nikita Drobny