A veteran of the Wagner group in exile in Norway.

Andrei Medvedev, 26, was arrested after illegally crossing the Russian-Norwegian border on the night of January 12 to 13, his Norwegian lawyer, Brynjulf ​​Risnes, told AFP on Monday, January 16, who clarified that his client was going to seek asylum in Oslo.

“He is ready to speak about his experience within the Wagner group to people who investigate war crimes”, also declared his lawyer.

Andrei Medvedev, former commander of the Wagner paramilitary group, which fought in Ukraine, said he fled to Norway to seek asylum in fear for his life after witnessing the killings and mistreatment of Russian prisoners brought to the line head on.

The Wagner militia, originally made up of veterans of the Russian army, recruited thousands of common law prisoners following the Russian offensive launched on February 24 by Moscow against kyiv under the promise of regaining freedom. after fighting in Ukraine.

>> Clan struggle in the Kremlin: Valéri Guerassimov, an obstacle on Wagner's road

?

Andrei Medvedev, who joined Wagner on July 6, 2022 on a four-month contract, said in a video posted by the NGO Gulagu.net that he crossed the border into Norway before being arrested by Norwegian police.

While in prison before joining Wagner, he said he walked away from the paramilitary group after witnessing the killings of Wagner recruits who had deserted.

"Fear of dying in excruciating pain"

"I'm afraid of dying in excruciating pain," Andrei Medvedev told Vladimir Osechkin, founder of Gulagu.net, who says he helped the former soldier leave Russia.

Police had earlier said a foreign citizen was arrested overnight from Thursday to Friday after illegally crossing the Russian-Norwegian border in the Arctic and was seeking asylum.

Andrei Medvedev's lawyer said he was in the "Oslo area", without giving further details.

>> See also, Seen from Russia: Wagner group, from taboo to legend in Russia

“What is important for him is that the immigration authorities clarify his status as soon as possible,” Brynjulf ​​Risnes told Reuters.

"He says he took part in combat, which he said was clear combat situations...and that he had no contact with civilians."

For his part, the founder of the Wagner group, Evgueni Prigojine, claimed that Andrei Medvedev had worked in a Norwegian unit of Wagner but that he had "mistreated prisoners".

With AFP and Reuters

The summary of the

France 24 week invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Take international news everywhere with you!

Download the France 24 app