A draft proscription order was laid in Parliament yesterday, making it illegal to support Wagner Group and punishable by up to 14 years in jail.
The Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, laid before Parliament a draft order to proscribe Wagner Group under the Terrorism Act 2000. Wagner Group is a proxy military force of Vladimir Putin’s Russia, which operates across the globe.
Once agreed, the order will come into force on 13 September, making it a criminal offence to belong to, encourage support for, assist or use the logo of that group. Certain proscription offences can be punishable by up to 14 years in prison, which can be handed down alongside or in place of a fine.
Wagner’s assets can also be categorised as terrorist property and seized.
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.
Wagner has operated in the pursuit of Russia’s foreign policy objectives and the objectives of host governments who have contracted Wagner’s services.
The UK has consistently called out the violent and destructive actions of Wagner Group, and included the group in a first wave of sanctions against Russia in early 2022, and more recently sanctioned an additional 13 individuals and businesses linked to the actions of the group in July 2023.
Commenting, Paul Howell MP, said:
Proscription names Wagner Group for what they truly are: terrorists.
This is a murderous organisation which is responsible for committing atrocities across the world.
Proscribing Wagner sends a clear message that the UK will not tolerate Russia’s proxies and their barbaric actions in Ukraine, and condemns Wagner’s campaign of corruption and bloodshed on the African continent, which has been repeatedly linked to human rights violations.
