Matt Murphy BBC reporter
3 hours ago
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Image caption,
Under this statute, it is a criminal offense to support a Wagner organization, which includes expressing support for Wagner and displaying its flag or emblem.
Britain has officially classified the Russian mercenary group Wagner as a terrorist organization, a move announced just weeks after the death of its founder Yevgeny Prigozhin.
The decree, approved by the government on Friday (September 15), also means it will be illegal to be a member of Wagner or support the group in the UK. Those who aid the paramilitary group could face heavy fines and prison sentences of up to 14 years. Announcing the order, Home Secretary Suella Braverman characterized Wagner as a “threat to global security”.
The minister said: “Wagner’s continued sabotage only furthers the Kremlin’s political goals. They are terrorists, there is no doubt about it. The ban announced by the UK makes this clear.”
Image caption,
On August 23 this year, Prigoghin and other Wagner members died in a suspicious plane crash.
Under the order, it is a criminal offense to support the group, which includes arranging meetings to promote its activities, expressing support for it and displaying its flag or logo.
Those who support Wagner will face up to 14 years in prison or a fine if convicted. Wagner will now be added to the UK’s list of 78 other banned groups, which includes groups such as Hamas and Boko Haram.
The Wagner Paramilitary Organization was founded by Prigozhin around 2014. The group quickly became a key lieutenant in Putin’s manipulation of state power in Russia. The group helps support Putin’s allies in countries such as Syria, Libya, Mali and the Central African Republic.
Its troops fought on the front lines after Russia invaded Ukraine, and these mercenaries participated in large numbers in the campaign in Ukraine. They helped Russia achieve some rare victories in cities like Soledar and Bakhmut.
However, after the recent failed rebellion against the Russian military leaders instigated by Prigokin, Wagner’s future became uncertain.
On August 23 this year, Prigoghin died in a “suspicious” plane crash along with other Wagner members. He was buried in St. Petersburg. Last week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied that the investigation into the crash was progressing slowly, saying: “This is not a simple investigation or an ordinary accident.”
In fact, in recent months, senior British MPs have been calling on the government to designate Wagner as a terrorist organization.
Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Electoral Committee recently released a report criticizing the British government’s “overconfidence” in the group and its “extreme lack of understanding of Wagner’s influence outside Europe, particularly in African countries.” control.”
Image caption,
Prigozhin, former head of the Wagner Group
But the new ban may come too late to have an impact.
Last month, experts told the BBC that one of Wagner’s rivals, a private military company, was trying to take over in the absence of Prigogkin’s leadership.
Last week, Alicia Kearns, chair of the Foreign Affairs Electoral Commission, urged the government to “take a more strategic approach to private military companies operating in all conflict zones.”
Labour’s shadow foreign secretary David Lammy accused the government of moving too slowly and “failing to keep pace with changing threats to our national security.”
Anton Mardasov, a scholar on Syria planning at the Middle East Institute, told the BBC that despite losing Prigogin, Wagner still managed to “maintain some autonomy for the time being”, especially in its deployment in Africa. “Let’s put it this way, Wagner survives and thrives because it solves problems for local authorities in the countries where it operates and protects the regime and their property. Al-Qaeda and other militant groups are still active there. , their presence and the threat they posed helped Wagner.”
In recent months, though, Russia is said to have established dozens of new private military companies, all with varying degrees of loyalty to oligarchs, businesses and politicians.
According to Arab media reports, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-bek Yevkurov has ordered Wagner to evacuate from Syria by the end of September this year or join the Russian army operating there. “The situation is very explosive and there is no concrete solution yet,” Mardasov said.
Analysis: Legislation too slow to come?
Frank Gardner BBC security correspondent
The majority view is that the legislation comes too late.
While the British government’s lawyers were working out the details of the legal provisions in preparation for the ban announced by the Home Office on September 5, the Kremlin was already busy dismantling Wagner’s power.
Putin no longer dares to risk having such a well-armed paramilitary group challenge his authority and that of his generals. Today, Wagner, while still potentially dangerous, no longer has the influence he had in the days of his former leader, Prigogine.
Most analysts now expect the Corps to come more closely under the control of Russia’s military intelligence unit (GRU) and spend more time engaging in “gray zone” operations such as covert sabotage and cyber operations, which they often deny. these things.
But as the extended arm of Kremlin policy in volatile regions such as Mali and Libya, Wagner – or whatever it will be recast in the future – still has the ability to make money from war, destabilization and violence. Therefore, the UK’s move to ban it as a terrorist organization is largely welcomed.
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2023-09-16 08:53:37
