The UK government has officially designated the Wagner Group as a terrorist organization. This move makes it illegal to associate with the group, either domestically or internationally. The pronouncement came a few weeks subsequent to a proposed bill containing this proscription being presented to Parliament on September 6.
The formal announcement was made on a Friday but the order technically went into effect from the prior Wednesday, September 13. Now, any association or assistance to the Wagner Group could result in a criminal sentence of up to 14 years in prison.
Members of the UK government like Alicia Kearns, the Chair of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, and Security Minister Tom Tugedhat, have expressed their support and approval for this measure via social media platforms.
This follows a report from the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Select Committee on July 26 that urged the UK government to proscribe the Wagner Group as a terrorist organization. This was shortly after the Wagner Group’s advance on Moscow, Russia.
The Wagner Group, a private military company, has raised international concern due to its suspected activities in several African nations, Syria, and Ukraine. There have been ongoing, yet unsettled, discussions about its links to the Russian government. Despite being a private entity, there is evidence and indication to suggest that it might function as a proxy for Russian interests. The Russian administration has yet to officially acknowledge any connection with the Wagner Group.
With this declaration, the Wagner Group joins 78 other organizations listed as terrorist groups by the UK government.