Ex-Wagner commander nabbed while attempting to breach Norway's border and enter Russia
Norwegian police detained the former commander of one of Russia’s Wagner mercenary company units, Andrei Medvedev, while he was trying to cross the border into Russia, newspaper the Barents Observer reported on Sept. 22.
He had previously fled Russia and sought asylum in Norway.
The former mercenary was detained in the village of Grense Jakobselv at the northern end of Norway’s border with Russia when he tried to cross the border in the dark to get to Russia's Kola Peninsula.
Norwegian Police in the Finnmark region confirmed they had detained a man, and said that he would be charged with violating border rules. At the same time, law enforcement officers did not name the name or nationality of the detainee.
The publication notes that crossing the land border in this area is illegal.
The detention took place a few hours after Medvedev met with a Barents Observer journalist in the center of Kirkenes. He announced he was planning to cross the border into Russia and was looking for someone to give him a ride.
The newspaper reported that the former Wagner commander had seemed agitated. He explained his decision by saying that he was afraid of extradition to Ukraine and considered returning to Russia to be a safer alternative.
Shortly after the meeting, he appears he managed to get to Grense Jacobselv. At this point, Norway and Russia are separated by a small, shallow river.
Read also: Former Wagner mercenary who fled to Norway to tell about war crimes of Wagner Group
Medvedev was detained in Norway on Jan. 23. He illegally crossed the border into the country and applied for political asylum. He was released two days later.
According to the Gulagu.net human rights project, which helped Medvedev escape from Russia, he was the commander of Yevgeny Nuzhin, who was beaten on camera with a sledgehammer to the head, and the entire 1st Division of the 4th Platoon of the 7th Assault Detachment of the Wagner mercenary company. Medvedev's lawyer stated that he was ready to talk about the war crimes of Wagner units.
In April, he was accused of fighting outside a bar in Oslo on Feb. 22. When police arrived, he resisted arrest and kicked at least one officer.
Another incident occurred on March 14. The former Wagner commander is accused of bringing an air gun into a bar. According to his lawyer, Brynjulf Risnes, Medvedev recognizes this accusation against him. However, he denies his guilt "in some other charges". The defense did not specify which charges he was referring to.
In his interviews, Medvedev claimed that he was not going to return to Russia.
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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
