An Iraqi man has been sentenced to life in prison for human trafficking after he recruited Iraqis to fight for Russia against Ukraine, court officials said Monday.

Axar.az informs, citing AP, the Najaf Criminal Court said in a statement that the convicted man had “formed groups and sent them to fight in foreign countries in exchange for financial compensation” and that the verdict was issued based on Iraq’s anti-human trafficking law.

Iraqi judicial official and a senior security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment, said the man, who they identified as Risan Falah Kamel, was convicted of recruiting fighters and sending them to fight on the Russian side.