The founder of the private military company Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said that the PMC stopped accepting prisoners in its ranks. So, he answered the request of Live24, writing about the appeals of prisoners, who reported that for more than a month there was no recruitment in the correctional facilities and Prigozhin did not come to the colonies.
“Yes, it really is. The recruitment of prisoners in the PMC “Wagner” was completely stopped. All obligations for those who work for us at the moment are fulfilled, ”said the head of the PMC.
On January 13, RT reported that more than a hundred prisoners from the Wagner PMC had returned from the war zone. The channel stated that they were all forgiven. Eva Merkacheva, member of the Presidential Human Rights Council, told RIA Novosti that prisoners were pardoned before they were even released from the colony. According to him, the decrees on their release were classified as belonging to information containing state secrets.
On January 5, Prigozhin reported that all convictions of the first group of prisoners who signed a contract with Wagner were lifted. The founder of PMC stated that ex-prisoners “fulfill their contracts with dignity and dignity”, so “society should treat them with the deepest respect”.
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a statement on these words that “the entire amnesty procedure was carried out in full accordance with Russian law”, and the amnesty decrees for prisoners participating in the PMCs were classified.
Return from the war zone
In October, the RBC broadcast asked the founder of PMC what would happen when the prisoners returned.
“First, most of us will not be coming back from this war, I hope I am not an exception. Secondly, it will be difficult for you to turn it off once the good gets in the way, I know that myself. Thirdly, if we are not needed at the front to defend their country, they will travel all over the world to deal with terrorists, colonialists and criminals of Russian interests, ”quoted Prigozhin, the press service of the Concord company.
The businessman also expressed confidence that ex-prisoners who “entered our warring fraternity” will “feel their responsibility to us and our responsibility for them.”
Some members of the private military company received state awards for their participation in hostilities in Ukraine. In particular, Vladimir Putin awarded the medal “For Courage” to Hayk Gasparyan, the commander of the assault group of the PMCs, a former prisoner of the Ryazan colony. The Kremlin explained that Gasparyan “showed heroism during a special military operation celebrated with a state award.”
recruitment of prisoners
The recruitment of prisoners from the Russian colonies in the Wagner PMC became known in mid-2022. In September, the VChK OGPU Telegram channel published a video in which a man similar to Prigozhin recruits people to participate in a military operation. The video was allegedly shot in the courtyard of a penal colony in Yoshkar-Ola, journalist Ksenia Sobchak reported.
The man in the video told the prisoners that those who agreed to participate in the fighting had no right to escape or surrender. He also said that “alcohol-drugs” and “looting, including sexual contact with local women” are prohibited.
“In six months, go home after receiving a pardon. Those who want to stay with us, stay with us. Therefore, there is no option to return to the region,” the man stressed in the recording.
Commenting on the news in the media about the conscription of prisoners, Prigozhin said that instead of them I “dreamed of joining the friendly team” of the PMC “Wagner”, “only to be able to repay my debt to the Motherland.” , but also to repay with vengeance.
“Those who do not want the PMCs to fight, are prisoners, talk about this, do not want to do anything and in principle do not like this topic, send your children to the front. PMCs and prisoners or your children – decide for yourself, ”Prigozhin told reporters.
At the end of December 2022, John Kirby, strategic communications coordinator for the White House National Security Council, said that Wagner PMC had played a “significant role” in the attack on Bakhmut (Russian name Artemovsk) since summer 2022. On January 11, Yevgeny Prigozhin announced the capture of Soledar before the Russian Ministry of Defense, emphasizing that “no units other than PMC fighters participated in the attack.”
The Ministry of Defense confirmed the capture of the city two days later, and this is the first time a private military company has been mentioned in an official report.
“As for the direct attack on the Soledar city blocks occupied by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, this combat mission was successfully accomplished by the brave and selfless actions of the volunteers of the Wagner assault squads,” the ministry said.
It is not known exactly how many prisoners were involved in the hostilities as part of the PMCs.