In a significant development on the international stage, the United Kingdom government is poised to proscribe the Russian mercenary organization known as Wagner as a terrorist group.
This action would render it illegal for individuals to join or provide support to this group within the UK, with the added dimension that its assets can be designated as terrorist property and subsequently seized.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman did not mince words when characterizing Wagner, describing it as “violent and destructive,” further labeling it as a “military tool of Vladimir Putin’s Russia.” Braverman pointed out that Wagner’s activities in Ukraine and various African countries pose a severe threat to global security.
Braverman’s assertion continued with a clear stance: “Wagner’s continuing destabilizing activities only continue to serve the Kremlin’s political goals.” She emphasized the government’s intent to unequivocally define them as terrorists within the ambit of UK law through the upcoming proscription order.
Wagner has played a significant role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and has conducted operations in countries such as Syria, Libya, Mali, and other African nations. The group and its fighters have faced allegations of multiple crimes, including the killing and torture of Ukrainian citizens.
In 2020, the United States accused Wagner soldiers of planting landmines in and around the Libyan capital, Tripoli. Additionally, in July of this year, the UK government made public its assertion that the group had been involved in “executions and torture” in Mali and the Central African Republic.
The group’s future was cast into uncertainty earlier this year when its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, led a failed mutiny against Russia’s military leaders. The situation took a mysterious turn when Prigozhin, the founder of the group in 2014, died in a suspicious plane crash on August 23, with his burial taking place in St Petersburg.
With this forthcoming proscription, the Wagner Group’s name will be added to the list of other proscribed organizations in the UK, a list that includes entities such as Hamas and Boko Haram. The authority to proscribe organizations underlines the Terrorism Act of 2000, granting the Home Secretary the ability to designate an organization concerned with terrorism.
The proscription order, when enacted, will not only make it a criminal offense to support the group but will also encompass activities such as arranging meetings aimed at advancing the organization’s objectives, expressing support for its aims, or displaying its flag or logo. Committing a proscription offense could entail severe penalties, including a prison sentence of up to 14 years or a fine of up to £5,000.
Pressure had been mounting on the UK government from Members of Parliament (MPs) to proscribe the Wagner Group. Earlier this year, Labour’s Shadow Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, urged the government to take this step, emphasizing the group’s alleged responsibility for “appalling atrocities in Ukraine and across the world.”
David Lammy expressed his approval of the draft order on social media, stating that it is “long overdue.” However, he called on the government to go further and seek a “Special Tribunal to prosecute Putin for his crime of aggression.”
While the Foreign Office had previously imposed sanctions on the Wagner Group, including the freezing of assets belonging to Prigozhin and several top commanders, calls for its proscription continued to intensify. Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee and Conservative MP Alicia Kearns stated in July, “Sanctions are not enough – the UK needs to proscribe the Wagner group for what it is: a terrorist organization.” Kearns’s committee produced a report that criticized the government for its “remarkably complacent” approach and its “dismal lack of understanding of Wagner’s influence beyond Europe, particularly its grip on African states.”
The Wagner Group, despite the setbacks it encountered with the failed mutiny in June against Russia’s generals and the recent plane crash that claimed its top leadership, is poised to face even more significant challenges with its proscription.
It will likely encounter obstacles in moving funds, and the legal basis established for Ukrainians and others to seek compensation through British courts could potentially result in claims amounting to billions of pounds.
This move by the UK government underscores its commitment to addressing the activities of the Wagner Group and holding the organization accountable for its actions on a global scale.
