Wagner Group defector reportedly granted temporary residence in Norway but refused full asylum
A Norwegian newspaper says a Russian man who reportedly defected from a high-ranking position in the Wagner Group has been given permission to stay in Norway but was refused permanent asylum
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A Russian man who reportedly defected from a high-ranking position in the Wagner Group has been given permission to stay in Norway but was refused permanent asylum, a Norwegian newspaper reported Tuesday.
The lawyer for Andrey Medvedev, Brynjulf Risnes, told Dagbladet that his client was granted temporary residence “due to the security risk involved in sending him back to Russia,” but wasn't given permanent residence or citizenship.
The Associated Press was unable to contact Risnes on Tuesday.
Medvedev sought asylum in January 2023 after having defected from Wagner and fled to Norway, crossing illegally over the country’s 198-kilometer (123-mile) border with Russia, saying he feared for his life if he were sent back.
Medvedev said he agreed to join the Wagner Group — a private Russian military company known for its brutal tactics — from July to November 2022, but he left after his contract was extended without his consent.
He reportedly told Russian dissident group Gulagu.net that he was ready to tell everything he knew about Wagner and its owner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, a millionaire with ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said he was willing to testify about any possible war crimes he witnessed, though he denied participating in any himself.
In April 2023, Medvedev was sentenced to 14 days in jail in Norway for disorderly conduct and for carrying an air gun in a public place. Officers had detained Medvedev outside a pub in Oslo following a February bar brawl.
A private military company, Wagner staged with its founder Prigozhin a brief rebellion against the Kremlin and marched on Moscow in June 2022. The mutiny ended with a deal that saw the relocation of Wagner troops to Belarus.
Two months later, Prigozhin and several of his top associates were killed in a plane crash that was widely seen as the Kremlin’s revenge.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.