Draft Measures to Proscribe the Wagner Group to Be Presented in Parliament on Wednesday.
The United Kingdom is poised to designate the Russian mercenary outfit, the Wagner Group, as a terrorist organization, as per media reports citing Home Secretary Suella Braverman.
Under the country’s anti-terrorism laws, the UK plans to proscribe the Wagner Group, placing it in the same category as organizations like al-Qaeda and Islamic State.
“Wagner is a violent and destructive organization that has served as a military instrument for Vladimir Putin’s Russia abroad,” Braverman was quoted as saying. “While Putin’s regime decides what to do with the monster it created, Wagner’s ongoing destabilizing activities only continue to serve the Kremlin’s political goals.”
Under the Terrorism Act 2000, the home secretary has the authority to proscribe an organization if there is evidence of its involvement in terrorism, and supporting such a group becomes a criminal offense.
“They are terrorists, plain and simple—and this proscription order makes that clear in UK law,” added a report, quoting the minister.
The Wagner Group’s operations in Ukraine, the Middle East, and Africa are considered a threat to global security, leading to the decision to proscribe the organization and provide support to Ukraine in its struggle against Russia, Braverman noted.
Draft measures to ban the Wagner Group will be presented in Parliament on Wednesday (September 6), in accordance with the law, the reports stated.
In July, sanctions were imposed on 13 businesses and individuals in the UK who were allegedly linked to Russian groups in Africa and accused of crimes such as torture and murder.
