The lawsuit represents the first time anyone has tried to hold any member of the Wagner group accountable for their activities anywhere in the world.
Wagner’s activities in Syria were further boosted by the spotlight after the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta published a 2019 investigation into the alleged involvement of group mercenaries in the horrific murder of a Syrian described as a deserter from the Syrian army.
In June 2017, a two-minute clip appeared online showing several Russian-speaking men wearing military uniforms brutally beating an unarmed man.
Two years later, Novaya Gazeta obtained additional images intended to show what happened to the man after the beating: he was again tortured and beheaded, his body mutilated and set on fire.
The newspaper also claimed to have identified the man, the Syrian Mohammed A., as well as one of the perpetrators, a Russian identified as a suspected member of the private military company Wagner. The murder took place in northern Syria, near the Al-Shaer gas facility, Novaya Gazeta said at the time.
Novaya Gazeta asked Russia’s main investigative body, the Investigative Committee, to open an investigation into the findings, but the claim was rejected.
The new case, initiated by the dead man’s brother, was presented to the Russian authorities last week by three groups: the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM), the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Human Memorial Rights center in Russia.
Shortly after the Novaya Gazeta report was released, the Syrian group SCM was contacted by the victim’s brother, who identified his relative in one of the videos, expressing his willingness to seek justice for his brother’s brutal death.
“So far, no court has examined Russia’s responsibility for direct military intervention and for allowing the Wagner group to use force,” the Memorial Human Rights Center said in a statement.
“This is the first complaint made by a Syrian victim with the support of human rights NGOs [non-governmental organizations] to the Russian authorities in an unprecedented attempt to overcome impunity and bring Russian suspects to justice. ”
According to his brother, Mohammed A. returned to Syria in March 2017 from Lebanon, where he worked as a construction worker, the NGOs said. Upon his return, Mohammed was arrested by the Syrian military and taken to a base for the conscription service. near Damascus. In his last telephone conversation, Mohammed told his brother that he intended to desert the army and was never heard from again.
The plaintiffs ask the Russian Investigative Committee to open an investigation on charges of “murder committed with extreme brutality by a group of people”. The Committee has so far not commented on the request. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that he is aware of the news from the media on the matter, but has referred the matter to the Investigation Committee.
The Investigation Committee did not respond to a request for comment from CNN.
Private military companies are illegal under Russian law, but Wagner has played an increasingly prominent role in advancing Russian foreign policy objectives abroad.
“There is a chain of conflicts where many times the same [Russia-linked] actors are involved, but are never prosecuted, “Memorial President Alexander Cherkasov told CNN.” Since there are no investigations or punishments, we have this chain of impunity, which has been going on in Russian history since at least the Chechen wars. “
Russian open source intelligence groups, such as the Conflict Intelligence Team, which have been investigating Wagner’s activities for years, previously told CNN that the unit’s ambiguous legal status allows Russia to enjoy plausible denial when it comes to reporting the number of soldiers lost in the Syrian conflict as well as to avoid international responsibility.
In 2019, Putin acknowledged the presence of Russian mercenaries in Syria, but denied that they are in any way supported by the government, adding that they resolve “economic issues” such as exploring or retaking oil fields.
“These people are risking their lives and, in general, this is also a contribution to the fight against terrorism … but this is not the Russian state, it is not the Russian army,” he said.
CNN and other agencies reported that companies linked to Prigozhin secured lucrative deals in countries where Wagner was established, such as guarding and exploring oil and gas fields in Syria or obtaining licenses to dig up diamonds and other precious minerals across Africa.