 Weidner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigazin will move to Belarus under a deal brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to end an armed mutiny that Prigazin had led against Russia's military leadership, the Kremlin said on June 24. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Lukashenko had offered to mediate with Russian President Vladimir Putin's agreement because he had known Prigazin personally for around 20 years. Peskov said the criminal case that had been opened against Prigazin for armed mutiny would be dropped, and that the Weidner fighters who had taken part in his march for justice would not face any action in recognition of their previous service to Russia. Fighters who had not taken part would sign contracts with the Defense Ministry, which has been seeking to bring all autonomous volunteer forces under its control by July 1, although Putin had earlier vowed to punish those who participated in the mutiny. Peskov said the agreement had had the higher goal of avoiding confrontation and bloodshed. Peskov declined to say whether any concessions had been made to Prigazin, other than guarantees of safety for him, something he said Putin had given his word to vouch for and for Prigazin's men to persuade him to withdraw all his forces.