According to the Barents Observer, the Norwegian police arrested Andrey Medidev on Friday, under suspicion that he was attempting to cross illegally into Russia. Earlier this year, Medvedev sought asylum in Norway.
Norwegian police in Finnmark confirmed they had arrested a man attempting to cross the border at Grense Jakobselv, a small village in northeast Norway. The police refused to confirm his identity. Medvedev’s Norwegian lawyer
Brynjulf Rsnes spoke with Reuters on Sunday and confirmed Medvedev’s detention. He claimed that the misunderstanding was to blame. Risnes stated, “e-[H]was there to see if [he] could find the spot where he crossed into Norway (in January). He was stopped in a taxi. He was never near the border … It was never his intention to cross the border (into Russia).”In January, Medvedev entered Norway in
search of asylum after he fled Russia. He had previously signed a Wagner Group contract and served as a commander in Ukraine for four month. Medvedev was given an order to kill Ukrainian soldiers captured on behalf of Russia during his time as commander. During his time as commander, Medvedev received an order to kill prisoners of war–Ukrainian soldiers captured on behalf of Russia.In May, Medvedev made a
statement expressing his desire to return to Russia, notwithstanding the potential danger he could face if he went back representing himself as “some kind of a boy in a big game” that he no longer wanted to be part of.