The new Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has said that the Russian mercenary group Wagner are to be proscribed as a “terrorist organisation” in the UK.
Once the order has been approved through Parliament on Wednesday it will be illegal for anyone in the UK to “belong to” the group.
Wagner Group assets will be allowed to be seized and it will become illegal for members in the UK to support the Russian mercenary outfit which could see punishment of up to 14-years in jail.
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Shapps told LBC, “Essentially it means that you can no longer or will no longer be able to be a part of that group in the UK because they will be deemed as a terrorist organisation so you wouldn’t be able to belong to it, you wouldn’t be able to use their insignias or logos.
“We’ve seen how Wagner operate. Obviously we’ve seen the devastating impact they’ve had or tried to have in Ukraine, but they also operate in Africa or across the Sahel.
“And we do not want to see that organisation here. Prescribing them means that becomes illegal once Parliament passes it.”
Home Secretary Suella Braverman called Wagner Group a “violent and destructive organisation” who are “continuing destabilising activities only continue to serve the Kremlin’s political goals.”
Shapps told Times Radio, “One of the reasons, of course, is we have a democratic system, we have to declassify information in order to be to take these issues, to make them robust in front of courts.”
He added, “There is a process you have to follow to do those things.”
