Norway denies asylum to former Wagner Group fighter but will let him stay in country

The Norwegian immigration authorities have reportedly denied the asylum request of Andrey Medvedev, a former Wagner Group fighter who entered Norway from Russia in January 2023 and who says he served as the commander of another Wagner mercenary whose murder by sledgehammer was recorded in a video that surfaced online.

According to Medvedev’s lawyer, the Norwegian government rejected the claim on the grounds that Wagner Group is not an official part of the Russian military. He said Medvedev’s defense team plans to appeal the decision.

Despite denying the claim, the lawyer said, the Norwegian government will not send Medvedev back to Russia as he “risks being punished for desertion and being killed by people from Wagner.”