High-ranking Wagner Group member seeks asylum in Norway

COPENHAGEN, Denmark –

A Russian man who reportedly is a former high-ranking member of the Russian non-public navy contractor Wagner Group, has sought asylum in Norway, authorities stated Monday.

The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration, additionally identified by its Norwegian acronym UDI, confirmed to The Associated Press that Andrey Medvedev has sought shelter in Norway.

“For reasons of security and privacy, the UDI cannot comment further on this matter,” UDI stated in an e mail to the AP.

His Norwegian lawyer, Brynjulf Risnes, confirmed that Medvedev was in Norway and had sought asylum.

The case was handed to the Norwegian immigration police and the person was transferred to Oslo, the place he was positioned in a centre for violators of migration legal guidelines. Police in Norway have declined to touch upon the case.

Last week, police in Arctic Norway stated an individual had illegally entered from Russia by crossing the 2 international locations’ border, which is 198 kilometres (123 miles) lengthy.

The man, who was solely recognized by authorities as a foreigner, was detained by border guards and the arrest was undramatic, police stated. The man is alleged to have visited a non-public home within the border space and requested for assist. Police stated that that they had been notified late Thursday by Russian border guards who found traces within the snow that would point out that somebody had crossed the border illegally.

It is believed that individual was similar with Medvedev, who in line with the Norwegian news company NTB on Monday has been on the run since he defected from the Wagner Group on July 6. He reportedly has advised a Russian human rights group that he’s prepared to inform the whole lot he is aware of concerning the Wagner Group, its actions and its proprietor Yevgeny Prigozhin, a millionaire with ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Wagner Group consists of numerous convicts recruited in Russian prisons who’ve spearheaded assaults in Ukraine. The group has has change into more and more influential in Africa, the place it has been pushing Russian disinformation, constructing alliances with regimes and getting access to oil, gasoline, gold, diamonds and priceless minerals.