The Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations (AFUO) has called on the Federal Government to declare the Wagner Group a terrorist organisation.
This move would bring Australia into line with the important action taken this week by the government of the United Kingdom.
AFUO Co-Chair Stefan Romaniw OAM said yesterday “The Wagner Group has committed war crimes in Ukraine including murdering and torturing prisoners of war and innocent civilians.
“They have been involved in documented abuses and war crimes in several African countries.
“Earlier this year the United States designated Wagner as a transnational criminal organisation. Other European states have also declared Wagner to be a terrorist group. The sooner Australia does the same, the better.
“As the UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman has said ‘Wagner is a violent and destructive organisation which has acted as a military tool of Vladimir Putin’s Russia overseas. While Putin’s regime decides what to do with the monster it created, Wagner’s continuing destabilising activities only continue to serve the Kremlin’s political goals. They are terrorists, plain and simple…’
“In Australia, our community has been intimidated by pro-Russian groups who support Wagner and display its logo. We hope that a terrorist listing will give authorities the power to stamp out such flagrant and appalling displays of hate,” he added.
The Australian-Ukrainian community has long held the view that Wagner should be designated as a terrorist organisation under Australian law. A petition signed by over 1,100 people, which requested the Wagner Group’s designation as a terrorist organisation, was presented to the House of Representatives in July 2023.
We look forward to the Parliament’s response and the Government’s timely action.
