Ismail Hasanov was sentenced by a court in the Azerbaijani city of Ganja to 3.5 years in prison for participating in military operations in Ukraine as part of the Russian private military company Wagner. He was charged under Article 279.1 of the Criminal Code (regarding participation in the activities of armed groups outside the country), the publication Oxu reported.

Hasanov, who had previously served a 12-year sentence in a Russian penal colony, was recruited in 2022 and signed a contract with the promise of wages, freedom, and Russian citizenship. He was sent to Ukraine, where, according to him, he was solely responsible for evacuating the wounded and dead. After completing his six-month contract, he received the promised monetary compensation, a medal, and Russian citizenship, but upon returning to Azerbaijan, he was detained and convicted.

Ismail Hasanov is originally from the Tovuz region of Azerbaijan. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison in Russia, and by the time he was recruited by the Wagner PMC, he had already served 8.5 years. He was twice denied transfer to serve the remainder of his sentence in an Azerbaijani prison.

Azerbaijani media reported on the detention of Gasanov and Ramil Aliyev in July of this year. The publication Report noted that they had participated in "training exercises and combat operations" in various countries and had also "incited other Azerbaijani citizens to commit similar acts outside the country."