LONDON, August 17. /TASS/. Piotr Kucharski, a Pole living in the town of Watford near London, has pleaded guilty to expressing support for the Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) banned in the UK, The Times reported.

According to the newspaper, Kucharski was charged with "professing to be a member of the banned military group." During the hearing it turned out that the 49-year-old man in reality was not a member of the Wagner PMC and did not fight, but only "professed to be a member" of the organization. According to prosecutor Dan Pawson-Pounds, "there is no evidence that Mr Kucharski actually travelled to the location he claimed to have gone to, or engaged in the activities relating to the Wagner Group."

He was released on conditional bail and will be sentenced in November. It should be noted that in his youth in Poland, Kucharski was sentenced to 15 years in prison for armed robbery.

British authorities put the Wagner PMC in the list of terrorist organizations in September 2023. Thus, belonging to the group or actively supporting it became a criminal offense in the United Kingdom, which carries a potential prison sentence of up to 14 years.

Wearing the symbols of a terrorist group or displaying them in certain circumstances in the UK can result in a fine of up to ·5,000 ($6,500). Any assets of such an organization can be confiscated if found in the country.