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Silence mode over Wagner PMC no longer necessary, businessman Prigozhin says

He stated that he did not obstruct or attempt to obstruct the court’s actions

MOSCOW, January 19. /TASS/. Wagner PMC founder Yevgeny Prigozhin believes that the silence mode about this organization has fulfilled its goal and, in this regard, he "grants" court victory to former Ekho Moskvy editor-in-chief Alexey Venediktov (deemed foreign agent in Russia) on this issue.

"Today, when the silence mode about the Wagner PMC has fulfilled its goal, it is my pleasure to grant the victory in this court case to comrade Venediktov. And, if there is such desire, to all those, from I won in court over," Prigozhin said, according to his press office’s Telegram channel.

Previously, the court ruled that Venediktov’s statement that "Prigozhin is the owner of the Wagner PMC" is false; however, since then, the plaintiff himself confirmed it in an interview that he is the founder and the manager of this military organization.

"There was a time when I had to go to court with Mr. Venediktov and others, because there was a conspiratory need to say that the Wagner PMC does not exist. First, because the work that the Wagner PMC did not always could be public. And second, because the Wagner PMC has always had a lot of enemies and enviers, both in Russia and abroad," Prigozhin explained.

He stated that he did not obstruct or attempt to obstruct the court’s actions.

"Let the Russian court be impartial. The fact the court took Venediktov’s position is a big victory for us," Prigozhin said.

Earlier on Thursday, lawyer Kaloy Ahilgov, who represented Venediktov in court, told TASS that the Moscow’s Presnensky court will hold a repeat hearing over Prigozhin’s lawsuit against Venediktov on February 6 due to the new circumstances.

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