Norway wants to talk to asylum-seeker from Wagner Group

COPENHAGEN, Denmark –

The Norwegian police unit that investigates conflict crimes mentioned Tuesday that it desires to speak to a Russian asylum-seeker who reportedly is a former high-ranking member of the personal Russian navy contractor Wagner Group.

Norway’s National Criminal Investigation Service, which takes half within the investigation of conflict crimes in Ukraine with the International Criminal Court, mentioned it was in touch with Andrey Medvedev and his Norwegian lawyer and “would like to conduct an interrogation of him in the near future. Medvedev has the status of a witness.”

Last week, Medvedev, who says he is fears for his life, fled to Norway the place he sought asylum. In a video posted by the Russian dissident group Gulagu.internet, Medvedev mentioned he got here below Russian gunfire earlier than he crossed into the Scandinavian nation.

Medvedev defined he had left the Wagner after his contract, initially from July to November, was prolonged with out his consent, and was prepared to testify about any conflict crimes he witnessed and denied he had participated in any.

In the video interview with France-based Gulagu, the ex-fighter says he feared experiencing the identical destiny as one other recruit whose head was reportedly smashed in by a sledgehammer by the Wagner Group in a public execution. In a phase apparently filmed earlier than he fled Russia, he asks for assist from Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Federal Security Service, or FSB, amongst others. Gulagu’s Vladimir Osechkin mentioned that Medvedev and one other man reached out for assist in December.

“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 period,” the Norwegian police mentioned in an announcement.

Last week, police in Arctic Norway mentioned an individual had illegally entered from Russia by crossing the border, which is 198 kilometers (123 miles) lengthy.

The man was detained by Norwegian border guards and the arrest was undramatic, police mentioned, including that he went to a non-public home within the border space and requested for assist. Police in Norway mentioned that they’d been notified late Thursday by Russian border guards who found traces within the snow that might point out that somebody had crossed the border illegally.

The Wagner Group, owned by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a millionaire with ties to Putin, consists of a lot of convicts recruited in Russian prisons who’ve spearheaded assaults within the conflict with Ukraine. The group has has turn into more and more influential in Africa, the place it has been pushing Russian disinformation, constructing alliances with governments and having access to oil, fuel, gold, diamonds and invaluable minerals.

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Lori Hinnant contributed to this report from Paris