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A former high-ranking member of the Russian personal navy contractor Wagner Group looking for asylum in Norway is in custody on suspicion of coming into the Scandinavian nation illegally, authorities say.
Russian Andrey Medvedev “has been arrested beneath the Immigration Act and it’s being assessed whether or not he must be produced for detention”, Jon Andreas Johansen of Norwegian immigration police informed the Related Press.
Norway’s VG newspaper stated detaining him was not meant as a punishment however a safety measure.
Medvedev, who says he fears for his life if he returns to Russia, is believed to have illegally entered Norway after crossing the nation’s 200 kilometer border with Russia earlier this month.
Vladimir Osechkin of the Russian dissident group Gulagu.internet, which helped Medvedev flee Russia, stated he had been in protecting custody in a secure home and was moved with out rationalization to a secured immigration facility.
Medvedev’s Norwegian lawyer, Brynjulf ​​Risnes, insisted on broadcaster NRK that his shopper was not suspected of any offense and that he was unaccustomed to Norway’s new, stricter safety measures for him.
In a video posted by Gulagu, Medvedev stated he got here beneath Russian gunfire earlier than crossing into the Scandinavian nation.
Norwegian police stated they have been notified by Russian border guards about tracks within the snow indicating that somebody might need crossed illegally.
Norway’s Nationwide Prison Investigation Service stated it was questioning Medvedev who “has the standing of a witness”.
Mr Osechkin stated the previous fighter spoke to investigators on Friday.
Medvedev, who has been on the run since he defected from the Wagner Group, has reportedly informed Gulagu.internet that he’s prepared to inform every little thing he is aware of in regards to the shady paramilitary group and its proprietor Yevgeny Prigozhin, a millionaire with ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Medvedev stated he left the Wagner Group after his contract was prolonged past the July-November timeline with out his consent.
The Wagner Group, which has spearheaded assaults towards Ukrainian forces, contains numerous convicts recruited from Russian prisons. The group has grow to be more and more influential in Africa.
