Ukraine unveils case against Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin

The Ukrainian government on Friday (February 3) unveiled a case against Yevgeny Prigozhin, the chief of the Russian mercenary group Wagner which has been supporting Russia in its offensive in Ukraine, news agency Reuters reported. Taking to Facebook, Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said that the Prosecutor General's Office served a notice to the head of Wagner.

Without naming Prigozhin, the statement said, "The head of this group is directly responsible for thousands of war crimes. He openly admits his role in the war against Ukraine and, with the Kremlin's permission, resolves staff issues by recruiting tens of thousands of prisoners."

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Kostin listed accusations against the Wagner group including encroachment on Ukraine's territorial integrity and waging an aggressive war and said that mercenaries (from the group) of all ranks would be held responsible, including those who fled abroad. "I am certain together with international partners we will ensure comprehensive responsibility both for every criminal who came to our land with weapons in his hands and also for their patrons who do business in blood," the prosecutor general added.

Kostin also said the Ukrainian government would send Norway a request against a former Wagner commander who was arrested (in Norway) last month.

Earlier on Friday, the Norwegian police said they intended to continue investigating former Wagner commander Andrei Medvedev, who fled from Russia to Norway last month.

According to a statement, Kripos- a unit of the police which investigates war crimes- said Medvedev handed some digital material to the police. Kripos said the material was being examined, adding the former Wagner commander remained a witness and was not under any obligation to talk to investors. "Medvedev gives the impression that he wants to continue to say more," the statement added.

Wagner has not only been involved in the Ukraine war but also in conflicts in Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. On Tuesday (January 31), United Nations (UN) experts called for an immediate independent investigation into abuses and possible war crimes committed in Mali by government forces and Wagner. According to a statement, the experts said that since 2021, they received "persistent and alarming accounts" of violations committed by Mali's armed forces and their allies in the Mopti area and elsewhere, a report by the news agency AFP said.

The UN experts said they were especially concerned about reports of mass executions in central Mali's Moura village in March last year. As per their information, "Malian forces, accompanied by military personnel believed to belong to the Wagner Group, executed several hundred people who had been rounded up."

(With inputs from agencies)

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