Oslo detains ex-Wagner member after failing to cross border to Russia

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
23 Sep 2023 15:19

Back in May, Medvedev stated in a YouTube video that he wanted to return to Russia, despite acknowledging the risks to his life.

Ex-Wagner member Andrey Medvedev listens to his lawyer Brynjulf Risnes during a court hearing in Oslo, on April 25, 2023 (AP)

A former commander of Wagner Private Military Company has been apprehended by Norwegian authorities. He is suspected of attempting to illicitly reenter Russia after having sought asylum in Norway earlier this year, as reported by the military commander's legal representative on Saturday.

Andrei Medvedev, who fled Russia in January by crossing its Arctic border into Norway, recounted his experience of evading Russian guards as they fired shots at him when he made his escape. He has also shared details about his involvement in combat in Ukraine as a member of the Wagner group.

"He definitely detects his colleagues- PMC Wagner's mercenaries- for characteristic callsigns, and things they say on the radios."

Andrey Medvedev, fugitive ex-mercenary from Wagner, claims that he recognized Wagner's mercenaries in the video of beheading a Ukrainian soldier.… pic.twitter.com/RPRka7SzeM
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) April 13, 2023

Late on Friday, the police issued a statement announcing the detention of an individual in his 20s for attempting to unlawfully cross the Russian border. However, they did not disclose his name.

However, according to his Norwegian attorney Brynjulf Risnes, Medvedev's apprehension stemmed from a misunderstanding, as stated to Reuters.

"He was up there to see if he could find the place where he crossed (into Norway in January). He was stopped when he was in a taxi. He was never near the border ... It was never his intention to cross the border (into Russia)," Risnes said.

Upon his arrival in Norway, Medvedev had cited a grave concern for his safety as the reason for seeking asylum. He claimed to have witnessed the killing and abuse of Russian prisoners who were taken to the frontlines in Ukraine.

His escape in January garnered international attention as a rare case of someone defecting to a Western nation while asserting previous involvement as a 'Russian mercenary' in the Ukraine conflict.

However, in May, he stated in a YouTube video that he wanted to return to Russia, despite acknowledging the risks to his life. He described himself as "some kind of a boy in a big game" that he no longer wanted to be part of.

Ex-Wagner mercenary Andrey Medvedev deserted when his contract was changed without his consent and he "stopped liking what was going on."

Now he asks Putin for help, saying he didn't do anything wrong

Reportedly after this address, Medvedev was detained and passed to Prigozhin pic.twitter.com/RH7mgTiHk2
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) December 17, 2022

Risnes pointed out that Medvedev had the right to return to Russia if he so desired, but emphasized that several changes would need to occur to ensure a safe return.

Back in April, Medvedev faced legal issues in Norway, being convicted for his involvement in a bar altercation and for carrying an air gun. However, he was acquitted of charges related to violence against the police. At that time, he had expressed his hope for asylum and was looking ahead to the future.

Wagner's founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin, met an untimely death on August 23 when a private jet he had used crashed under unexplained circumstances.

This event occurred just two months after he briefly dispatched his contractors in a move toward Moscow, directly challenging the Russian establishment.