1/ The Wagner Group's head Yevgeny Prigozhin appears to be backpedalling from a law that he had demanded himself to criminalise criticism of Wagner's fighters and increase penalties for anti-war comments. It could be used to prosecute his own criticism of the Russian MOD. ⬇️ 
2/ In January 2023, Prigozhin wrote to the Russian State Duma's Speaker, Vyacheslav Volodin, requesting that laws against "discrediting" Russia's armed forces should be extended to cover Wagner, and that penalties should be made harsher.
https://twitter.com/ChrisO_wiki/status/1618181052484423681
3/ On 1 March, Volodin duly announced amendments to the law to allow prosecutions for "fakes" and "discrediting" "volunteer formations, organizations or persons assisting in the performance of tasks assigned to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation" – like Wagner.
4/ Punishments are also increased from three to five years' imprisonment for "fake information" and from five to seven years for "discrediting". The offences are increased to "medium gravity" (roughly equivalent to an upgrade from a misdemenour to a felony).
5/ As a result, writes Pavel Chikov, the head of the Agora human rights organisation, "soon it will not be possible to write anything about using a sledgehammer without risk of criminal prosecution." But there is a catch, which has led to Prigozhin backing away from the changes.
6/ As Chikov notes, the law would make it easier to prosecute Prigozhin himself for his recent intemperate criticisms of the Russian Ministry of Defence and its top leaders, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and General Valery Gerasimov. Chikov writes:
7/ "Fakes about private military companies can be expressed in publications that say they are poorly supplied with anything, if this is not true according to official information. But here the question arises whose official reports about the Wagner PMC will be taken as true."
8/ Chikov points out that in all previous criminal cases of "fakes", statements by the Russian Ministry of Defence have been held by courts to be the truth. The Russian MOD has strongly denied Prigozhin's claims that Wagner is being starved of shells.
9/ In which case, as Chikov says, "the statements of the Wagnerians about insufficient supply of shells may suddenly turn out to be fakes themselves."
10/ It's obviously not been lost on Prigozhin that he recently called Russian MOD officials "scoundrels and scum." So it's perhaps not surprising that he's written to Volodin asking to be exempted from the law in a letter sent on 1 March. Prigozhin writes:
11/ "These amendments make it possible to protect the rights of persons who protect the interests of the Russian Federation.
12/ However, these amendments should not extend their effect to the highest command staff of volunteer detachments, including the Wagner PMC, and the highest command staff of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, since this is necessary to ensure transparency and…
13/ …responsibility for the exercise of their powers. Otherwise, any public and constructive criticism of their actions can lead to prosecution."
14/ It's not unusual for there to be one rule for the bosses and another for everyone else, but it's unusually blatant for them to be so explicit about it. It's unclear whether Volodin will allow Prigozhin to be exempted, as it could be a useful tool to use against him. /end
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