Kyrgyz security services detain Russian House staffer for alleged mercenary links

In Kyrgyzstan, an employee of the Russian House has been arrested in connection with a mercenary case.

The State Committee for National Security (GKNB) of Kyrgyzstan has detained Natalia Sekerina, an employee of the Russian House in Osh, which is a branch of the Russian organisation "Rossotrudnichestvo" operating in Kyrgyzstan, Caliber.Az reports, referencing Kyrgyz media.

The First May District Court in Bishkek reviewed the preventive measure for Sekerina on April 19, 2025, and decided to place her under detention until June 17, 2025. The investigation has been launched by the Main Investigative Department of the GKNB.

Sekerina has been charged under Part 1 of Article 416 of the Criminal Code of Kyrgyzstan, which criminalises the recruitment, funding, material support, and training of mercenaries for use in armed conflicts in other countries or for violent actions aimed at overthrowing state power or violating territorial integrity. The charge also includes the use of mercenaries in military conflicts or related actions.

On Sekerina's Facebook page, it can be seen that she posted materials and shared several videos in 2024 while working at the Russian House in Osh. The organisation’s website also features photos and information about various events in which Sergei Lapushkin, a press service employee of the Osh City Hall, participated. Lapushkin, too, has been arrested in connection with this case.

The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are examining the full extent of the involvement of those arrested.

By Tamilla Hasanova