The United Kingdom (UK) is taking steps to designate the Wagner Group as a terrorist organization, with a draft proscription order scheduled to be presented in the UK Parliament on September 6. This move would make it illegal to support the Wagner Group, carrying penalties of up to 14 years in prison. The Wagner Group is a Russian private military company that has operated as a proxy military force on behalf of the Russian state in various countries, including Ukraine, Syria, the Central African Republic, Sudan, Libya, Mozambique, and Mali.
British Home Secretary Suella Braverman has laid out the draft order, citing the Wagner Group as a violent and destructive organization acting as a military tool for Vladimir Putin’s Russia. The group’s destabilizing activities serve the Kremlin’s political goals and have involved actions such as looting, torture, and brutal murders. The UK views the Wagner Group as terrorists and aims to proscribe the organization to aid Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said:
Wagner is a violent and destructive organization which has acted as a military tool of Vladimir Putin’s Russia overseas. While Putin’s regime decides what to do with the monster it created, Wagner’s continuing destabilizing activities only continue to serve the Kremlin’s political goals.
They are terrorists, plain and simple – and this proscription order makes that clear in UK law. Wagner has been involved in looting, torture and barbarous murders. Its operations in Ukraine, the Middle East and Africa are a threat to global security.
That is why we are proscribing this terrorist organization and continuing to aid Ukraine wherever we can in its fight against Russia.
Once approved, the proscription order will take effect on September 13, making it a criminal offense to be associated with, encourage support for, assist, or use the group’s logo. Violations of certain proscription offenses can lead to sentences of up to 14 years in prison or fines. The assets of the Wagner Group can also be categorized as terrorist property and seized.
The Home Office describes the Wagner Group as a Russian private military company that acts as a proxy military force for the Russian state and other host governments. The UK has previously imposed sanctions against the group and its affiliates in response to their actions.
The decision to proscribe the Wagner Group follows careful consideration of its activities, the threat it poses to British nationals overseas, and the need to support the international community in the fight against terrorism. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has called for the group to be treated as a terrorist organization, further influencing the UK’s decision.
Once passed, the Wagner Group will become the 79th organization to be proscribed in the UK, joining the ranks of groups like Al Qaeda, ISIS, and Hezbollah. Despite recent developments, including an attempted coup in Moscow and reported leadership changes, the threat posed by the Wagner Group persists.
A draft proscription order is being laid in UK Parliament on September 6, making it illegal to support Wagner Group and punishable by up to 14 years in jail. Wagner Group is a Russian private military company which has acted as a proxy military force on behalf of the Russian state. Founded in 2014, Wagner has operated in a series of countries including most notably Ukraine, Syria, the Central African Republic, Sudan, Libya, Mozambique and Mali.
The British Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, has today laid a draft order before Parliament which would proscribe Wagner Group under the Terrorism Act 2000. The Home Office says Wagner Group is a proxy military force of Vladimir Putin’s Russia, which operates across the globe.
