Story By: Anastasia Smirnova, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder,Agency: Central European News
A Russian newspaper has claimed it has footage proving that the gruesome dismembering of a fighter from the so-called Islamic State in 2017 – seen in these images – was carried out by a Kremlin-linked private military company serving in the war-ravaged country.
Russian newspaper ‘Novaya Gazeta’ first released information of the incident at the time and speculated that the men, mostly retired Russian soldiers, belonged to the Wagner private military company.
The incident is believed to have taken place in spring 2017 in Tal Shair near Aleppo in northern Syria.
The company is reportedly owned by businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin who has close links with President Putin and is dubbed ‘Putin’s Chef’ because of his catering company.
Novaya Gazeta said that the Wagner Group was in Tal Shair in spring 2017, clearing the area of so-called Islamic State (IS) terrorists.
This week, the Russian newspaper claimed it has further video evidence that the fighters, which can reportedly be seen hitting the suspected ISIS fighter with sledgehammers and dismembering his head and limbs, are linked to Wagner.
In the footage, they are heard shouting “cut him harder, come on! Just break his spine! Use a shovel” and “keep the legs, we’ll hang him by the legs”.
Another video shows the men setting the victim, identified as Muhammad ‘Hamadi’ Abdullah al-Ismail from the eastern Syrian governorate of Deir Ez-Zor, on fire, according to reports.
One of the Russian men’s faces is seen briefly in the footage and Novaya Gazeta said it used facial recognition software and connected his identity with his passport details and a non-disclosure agreement with Wagner.
He has been identified as Stanislav D., with his last name omitted to protect his family, according to Novaya Gazeta. The newspaper also said that he used to work for Russian intelligence after serving as a police officer in the south-western Russian region of Stavropol Krai.
After the Kremlin was asked if they knew about the incident, President Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “We do have such information. This is not a concern for us, it is not a matter for the presidential administration.”
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