Former commander in Russian mercenary group flees to Norway, seeks asylum | 24CA News
A former commander of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group who fought in Ukraine stated he has fled to Norway and is in search of asylum in worry for his life after witnessing the killing and mistreatment of Russian prisoners dropped at the entrance line.
Andrei Medvedev, who joined the group on July 6, 2022, on a four-month contract, stated in a video posted by the Gulagu.internet rights group that he had crossed the border into Norway earlier than being detained by Norwegian police.
Medvedev, an orphan who joined the Russian military and served time in jail earlier than becoming a member of Wagner, stated he had slipped away from the group after witnessing the killing of captured deserters from Wagner.
“I am afraid of dying in agony,” Medvedev informed Vladimir Osechkin, founding father of the Gulagu.internet rights group, which stated it had helped Medvedev depart Russia after he approached the group in worry for his life.
He stated he crossed the border, climbing by way of barbed-wire fences and evading a border patrol with canine, and heard guards firing photographs as he ran by way of a forest and over skinny and breaking ice into Norway.
Norwegian police stated a international citizen had been arrested on the night time of Thursday to Friday after illegally crossing the Russian-Norwegian border within the Arctic and was in search of asylum.
His Norwegian lawyer stated Medvedev was now within the “Oslo area,” however didn’t give particulars.
“What is important for [Medvedev] is that immigration authorities clarify his status as soon as possible,” lawyer Brynjulf Risnes informed Reuters.
Medvedev had not but talked with Norwegian safety police and no settlement for an interview had been made, Risnes stated.
“I am sure that will be a question at some point,” stated Risnes, who declined to say the place Medvedev was combating in Ukraine.
“He says he has taken part in battle, which he says were clear battle situations … and that he has not been in contact with civilians,” stated Risnes.
Wagner head claims asylum seeker is ‘harmful’
Yevgeny Prigozhin, who based Wagner, stated that Medvedev had labored in a Norwegian unit of Wagner however had “mistreated prisoners.”
“Be careful, he’s very dangerous,” Prigozhin stated in a press release launched by his spokesperson. Prigozhin didn’t deal with the claims of killings or mistreatment of prisoners within the assertion.
In interviews with Gulagu, Medvedev stated he grew disaffected after his contract was repeatedly prolonged by Wagner with out his consent. He stated he had witnessed the killing and mistreatment of Russian prisoners who have been dropped at the entrance by Wagner.
Medvedev stated losses have been very excessive after Wagner started sending massive numbers of prisoners to the entrance within the second half of 2022. Wagner’s inside safety service handed out excessive punishment, Medvedev stated.
He stated a person who was proven in November being executed with a sledgehammer had been a part of his unit.
The Wagner assertion didn’t deal with Medvedev’s accounts of punishment and of battlefield losses, or that his contract was repeatedly prolonged.
Prigozhin has stated his group is an efficient combating power as a result of it had intensive battlefield expertise, it’s effectively equipped, has a meritocratic command system wherein all can contribute, and “the most severe discipline.”
