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Norwegian police have arrested a former commander of the Wagner mercenary group on suspicion of attempting to cross the border illegally to return to Russia after he sought asylum in Norway earlier this year.
Andrei Medvedev, who left Russia in January across the Arctic border with Norway, had described running as Russian border guards fired at him. He also spoke about his participation in the war in Ukraine, as a member of Wagner.
In a statement, police said a man in his thirties was arrested for trying to illegally cross the border into Russia, without giving his name. Crossing the border into Russia is allowed only at certain points.
Medvedev's Norwegian lawyer, Brynjulf Risnes, argued that his client's arrest was the result of a misunderstanding. "He was there to see if he could find the place where he passed in Norway in January. He was stopped while getting into a taxi. He has never been near the border. It was never his intention to cross the border", said Risnes.
Medvedev sought asylum in Norway, claiming he feared for his life after witnessing the ill-treatment and execution of Russian prisoners taken to the front line in Ukraine. His escape in January made headlines around the world as a rare example of someone defecting to a Western country claiming to have fought for Russia as a mercenary. But in May, in a video posted on YouTube, he said he wanted to return to Russia, even if his life was in danger. He claimed he felt "like a little boy" caught up in a "big game" he no longer wanted to be a part of. A month ago he was convicted in Norway of involvement in a bar fight and possession of a pistol
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