Wagner ex-member seeks asylum in Norway after fleeing Russia

A Norwegian police unit that investigates war crimes said on Tuesday that it wants to talk to a Russian asylum-seeker who reportedly is a former fighter with the Wagner mercenary group.

Twenty-six-year-old Andrey Medvedev was arrested for illegally crossing Russia's border with Norway in the country's remote Arctic Pasvikdalen valley last week.

Norway's National Criminal Investigation Service, which takes part in the investigation of war crimes in Ukraine with the International Criminal Court, said it was in contact with Medvedev and his Norwegian lawyer and "would like to conduct an interrogation of him in the near future."

Witness to war crimes?

According to police, Medvedev has the status of a witness. "He himself has said that he has been part of the Wagner group, and it is interesting for the National Criminal Investigation Service to get more information about this,'' the Norwegian police said in a statement.

In a video posted by the France-based Russian dissident group Gulagu.net, Medvedev said he left Wagner after his four-month contract was extended without his consent. He had joined the group in July 2022 and had fought in Ukraine. According to the website, Medvedev claims he had served as a unit commander for between five and ten soldiers.

He added he was prepared to testify about any war crimes he may have witnessed, while denying having participated in any. 

Medvedev's lawyer, Brynjulf Risnes, said that his client was no longer in police custody, but at a "safe place" while his case was being investigated.

Risnes added that Medvedev is suspected of "illegal entry" into Norway. "If he gets asylum in Norway that accusation will be dropped automatically," the lawyer said.

Risnes said Medvedev had not yet spoken with the Norwegian security police, PST, and no agreement for an interview had been reached. 

How did Medvedev escape from Russia?

Medvedev had been detained by Norwegian border guards, police said, adding that he went to a private house in the border area and asked for help.

According to Norwegian police, they had been notified by Russian border guards who discovered traces in the snow that could indicate that someone had crossed the border illegally.

However, in a video posted by Gulagu.net, Medvedev said he came under Russian gunfire before he crossed into Norway.

"When I was on the ice (at the border), I heard dogs barking, I turned around, I saw people with flashlights, about 150 meters (500 feet) away, running in my direction," he said in the video. 

"I heard two shots, the bullets whizzed by," he added.

Gulagu.net said it had helped Medvedev to escape Russia after the ex-fighter contacted them in December, over fears he would be executed by his former comrades.  

What is Wagner group? 

The Wagner group, owned by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a millionaire with ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, includes a large number of convicts recruited in Russian prisons who have led attacks in the war with Ukraine. The group is also reportedly active in African conflict areas, such as Mali. 

Medvedev, an orphan who joined the Russian army and served time in prison before joining Wagner in July 2022, said he had witnessed the killing of captured deserters from Wagner. 

dh/wmr (AP, AFP, Reuters)