The French parliament is asking the EU to formally label the Russian mercenary group Wagner as a terrorist, and the UK is reportedly preparing to do the same. “Wherever Wagner members work, they are spreading instability and violence,” MP Benjamin Haddad told parliament on Tuesday. They kill and torture. They slaughter and loot. They intimidate and manipulate with near impunity.”
The French parliament has unanimously passed a non-binding resolution urging the 27 EU members to include Wagner in the official list of terrorist organizations, reported the French newspaper Le Monde. According to Haddad, the Wagnerians are not mere mercenaries motivated by a ‘hunger for money’, but are following ‘a broad strategy (…) from Mali to Ukraine, to support the aggressive policies of President Putin’s regime towards of our democracies’.
They kill and torture. They slaughter and loot. They intimidate and manipulate with near impunity’
If the Wagner Group ends up on the list of terrorist organisations, EU member states can freeze the assets of the Wagner Group and its members, and European companies and citizens will no longer be allowed to do business with the group. Ukrainian President Zelensky thanked the French parliament and urged other countries to follow suit. “Every manifestation of terrorism must be repressed and every terrorist must be condemned,” the president said.
Blacklist
The Times newspaper reported yesterday that the UK is in the process of formally designating the Wagner Group as a terrorist organisation. The Times quoted a government source as saying the list is “imminent” and likely to be finalized within weeks. According to the Times, that would make it a crime to belong, as would attending meetings, giving support or encouragement, or even publicly displaying the logo.
It will not be the first time that the Wagner Group and its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin have been hit with punitive measures from London and Brussels. The European Union froze Prigozhin’s assets in 2020 because he deployed his fighters in civil war-torn Libya. Prigozhin unsuccessfully appealed this decision.
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
