
The United Kingdom announced that it will declare the Russian mercenary group, Wagner, a banned terrorist organization. Authorities said the group remains a global threat even after the death of its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin.
The British government said an order will be sent to Parliament to designate Wagner as a terrorist organization under the Terrorism Act.
That designation, once approved by lawmakers, would bar membership or support for Wagner, the group that has played a major role in fighting during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Wagner has also operated in Syria and several other African countries.
Interior Secretary Suella Braverman said Wagner “engaged in robbery, torture and barbaric murder. "His operations in Ukraine, the Middle East and Africa are a threat to global security."
"They are terrorists and this ban is clear under UK law," she said.
The ban will allow UK authorities to seize the organisation's assets, although this power appears to be symbolic as there is no record of Wagner operating in Britain.
The British Government's announcement comes after Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee recommended in July that Wagner be banned. This committee said that British authorities have "underestimated and minimized" the threat posed by this mercenary flu.
The committee also said Wagner's future is unclear after Prigozhin's short-lived rebellion against the Russian military in June.
Two months after the June rebellion, Priogozhin was reported to have died in a plane crash on 23 August. According to preliminary assessments of US intelligence, the plane was brought down by a deliberate explosion. The government of Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied any involvement.