In a move announced by the British Parliament on Wednesday, the Wagner mercenary group was designated a terrorist organization. The decision followed a proposal submitted the previous week by Home Secretary Suella Braverman. The regulation makes it illegal to provide support for the group within the United Kingdom, including organizing events that promote its activities, publicly endorsing it through demonstrations, or displaying its flag and logo. The measure also empowers authorities to seize any assets linked to the group in the country and to arrest individuals involved in such conduct. Offenders face up to 14 years in prison.
Braverman framed the ban as a strong statement against terrorism, noting that it serves not only to stigmatize the organization but also to deter its operations globally. During the bill’s introduction to the House of Commons, she described Wagner’s ties to Russia and pointed to the mercenaries’ alleged efforts to plot violence in various locations, including attempts to harm President Volodymyr Zelensky. She asserted that Wagner is clearly a terrorist organization and emphasized the seriousness of deterring its activities.
While the opposition supported the general aim of the proposal, they argued that the process took too long. Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran questioned what more could have been prevented with swifter action, while Labour Security Lead Dan Jarvis echoed concerns. Braverman, however, highlighted that the UK was among the first European nations to add Wagner to its terrorist list, alongside previously designated groups such as Islamic State and Boko Haram, underscoring the country’s commitment to counterterrorism measures.
parliamentary report
The government has already imposed tax penalties on the mercenary group, including on its founder Yevgeny Prigozhin, who died in a late August plane crash. Pressure to strengthen sanctions has risen in recent months. A Foreign Affairs Committee report is expected to discuss what it calls a lack of understanding about the danger the group poses beyond Europe, particularly in Africa, where Wagner has operated for several years. The committee has anticipated findings that urge closer scrutiny of the group’s activities and their regional impact. Source attribution: UK Parliament briefing
As July drew to a close, the committee warned about Wagner’s operations in five African countries: the Central African Republic, Sudan, Libya, Mozambique and Mali. Reports indicate that Wagner members used coercive methods and torture techniques, cooperating with local security forces and exploiting human suffering to benefit their causes. Observers note that Western actors often left governance gaps that groups like Wagner have exploited in recent years, prompting calls for stronger international coordination. Human Rights Watch and other organizations have raised concerns about abuses attributed to Wagner forces, including allegations of killings and mistreatment of civilians in Mali and the Central African Republic. Attribution: Human Rights Watch and related parliamentary briefings