04:01Germany: Bundestag debates whether Wagner PMC should be designated as 'terrorist organization'
Lawmakers in the German Bundestag discussed designating the Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) as a 'terrorist organisation', during a debate in the parliament on Thursday.
"In our motion today, we call on you to clearly name the Wagner group as what it is, namely a terrorist actor and many of our European colleagues have already done so," said CDU/CSU member Dr Katja Leikert.
She added that the European Parliament, as well as those in Lithuania and France had approved similar votes on the group, which has been increasingly active on the Russian side of the Ukraine conflict.
While the earlier decisions were symbolic, non-binding and without legal powers, Leikert called on the Bundestag and the government to take the same approach.
"A large majority here in the House would not simply accept the actions of private mercenary groups that violate international law and clearly condemn their machinations," added Johannes Schraps, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s own SPD party.
Meanwhile, Ulrich Lechte, from the Free Democrats, one of the other parties in the coalition government, outlined that more than 2,000 people connected with Wagner PMC had already been sanctioned by the EU, while the EU Council had also taken actions on sanctions, including against founder Yevgeny Prigozhin.
In January, following a move by the US to designate the group a 'transnational criminal organisation', Prigozhin responded that the 'Wagner PMC has not committed any crimes'
"Some repeatedly tried to blame us for various crimes in different parts of the world for days on end. But, unlike US paramilitary organisations, Wagner PMC destroys only the enemies of peace and does not commit crimes," he claimed.
The organisation has also worked in Syria, Libya , Sudan and other countries.
04:01Lawmakers in the German Bundestag discussed designating the Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) as a 'terrorist organisation', during a debate in the parliament on Thursday.
"In our motion today, we call on you to clearly name the Wagner group as what it is, namely a terrorist actor and many of our European colleagues have already done so," said CDU/CSU member Dr Katja Leikert.
She added that the European Parliament, as well as those in Lithuania and France had approved similar votes on the group, which has been increasingly active on the Russian side of the Ukraine conflict.
While the earlier decisions were symbolic, non-binding and without legal powers, Leikert called on the Bundestag and the government to take the same approach.
"A large majority here in the House would not simply accept the actions of private mercenary groups that violate international law and clearly condemn their machinations," added Johannes Schraps, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s own SPD party.
Meanwhile, Ulrich Lechte, from the Free Democrats, one of the other parties in the coalition government, outlined that more than 2,000 people connected with Wagner PMC had already been sanctioned by the EU, while the EU Council had also taken actions on sanctions, including against founder Yevgeny Prigozhin.
In January, following a move by the US to designate the group a 'transnational criminal organisation', Prigozhin responded that the 'Wagner PMC has not committed any crimes'
"Some repeatedly tried to blame us for various crimes in different parts of the world for days on end. But, unlike US paramilitary organisations, Wagner PMC destroys only the enemies of peace and does not commit crimes," he claimed.
The organisation has also worked in Syria, Libya , Sudan and other countries.