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LONDON, 26 Feb. (DPA/EP) –
Britain’s Labor Party has called on the UK government to designate the Wagner Group, owned by a Russian businessman linked to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, as a terrorist organisation.
Labour’s Foreign Relations Officer David Lammy and Home Affairs Officer Yvette Cooper have jointly demanded that Downing Street formally label the Wagner Group a terrorist group after accusing it of committing “appalling atrocities”, according to reports. picked up by the DPA agency.
Labor has justified the move by saying it would make it a criminal offense to belong to the private military company, attend its meetings, encourage support or wear its logo in public.
The mercenaries, made up of contractors and recruited convicts, have participated in the war in Ukraine together with the Russian Armed Forces in eastern Ukraine, including clashes in cities such as Soledar or Bakhmut.
British Labor wants the UK cabinet to follow the US lead after Washington last month designated Wagner as a “major foreign criminal organization”.
In a joint statement, Lammy and Cooper have stated: “The Wagner Group is responsible for terrible atrocities in the Ukraine and around the world. No one in the UK should be allowed to belong to, support or promote the Wagner Group.”
They have also asked to hold those responsible “accountable” for “the illegal invasion of Ukraine.”
Meanwhile, Labor last month pushed for the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to be outlawed as a terror group after the execution of Alireza Akbari, a dual British-Iranian national.
The Intelligence Service of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine assured in October that more than 8,000 fighters from the Wagner Group have participated at some point in the invasion that has been nine months since it was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin, under the heading of “special operation”.
“More than 8,000 Wagner Group mercenaries are involved in hostilities on the territory of Ukraine. Most of the units are currently located in the areas along the front line of battle,” Kiev said.
“Most of the personnel of these assault units consists of mercenaries recruited from the prison population,” said the message made public by the Intelligence Service through its Telegram channel.
