Criminal case against Prigozhin over rebellion not closed - Russian media

The investigation in Russia against the leader of the "Wagner" PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin, continues, and the criminal case of organizing a rebellion has not been closed as promised.

That's according to Interfax, citing a source in the Russian Prosecutor General's Office, Ukrinform reports. 

"The case is not closed, the investigation is ongoing," the source of the agency said.

The Russian state news agency and the Kommersant newspaper also reported this, citing sources.

As reported, the leader of the "Wagner" PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin, announced a demarche against the Russian military leadership, in particular against Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, on June 23. He took control of Rostov-on-Don and part of the Voronezh region, after which the Wagnerites marched on Moscow.

At the same time, the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation reported that "the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia on June 23, 2023, legally and reasonably initiated a criminal case against Yevgeny Prigozhin under Article 279 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation on the fact of organizing an armed rebellion."

Read also: Wagner Group’s rebellion to substantially damage Russian war effort in Ukraine – ISW

On the evening of June 24, after "negotiations" with self-proclaimed President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin announced that he was turning his mercenaries back to the "field camps".

After that, Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the criminal case against Prigozhin would be closed, and he would go to Belarus.