Classification as a criminal organization: Wagner boss Prigozhin writes a letter to the Pentagon Cassis describes blocked Russian funds as a “major source of funding”

The head of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozchin, wants to know from the US why his company should be classified as a criminal organization. Kirby, could you please explain what crimes the Wagner group allegedly committed?

Kirby announced on Friday that the mercenaries have been added to the list of international criminal organizations and that new sanctions will be imposed. The classification allows the US and other countries to restrict the international activities of the mercenary group and its worldwide network of supporters.

The US government will impose specific sanctions on the Wagner group next week, Kirby said. He has not yet given details about the sanctions. The Wagner boss accused the United States of being criminals itself. Now Wagner and the US are colleagues, he said.

Kirby went on to say that Wagner was a criminal organization responsible for atrocities and human rights abuses in Ukraine and around the world. Russian human rights activists speak of forced conscription in prisons and report “Wagner” internal executions of deserters.

The group was and is also active in Syria, the Central African Republic, Sudan, Somalia and Mali. Wagner people are suspected of killing, raping and torturing people

According to Kirby, there is a growing rivalry between Wagner and the Russian military and other Russian ministries. “We see increasing tensions between Wagner and the Russian Defense Ministry,” Kirby said.

Prigozhin is a close confidant of Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Kirby, about 50,000 fighters are currently deployed in the ranks of the private army in Ukraine. Among them are 10,000 mercenaries and 40,000 prisoners whom Prigozhin had recruited from Russian prisons.

(t-online, with material from Reuters and dpa)