Former Wagner Commander Seeks Asylum in Norway

Facts

• Andrey Medvedev, a former high-ranking member of the Russian private military contractor Wagner Group, has reportedly defected to Norway and has been transported to Oslo as he seeks asylum.
• This comes after police in Arctic Norway last week reported that a man had illegally entered the country from Russia, after which he was detained and arrested by border agents. Norwegian news agency NTB later reported that it was Medvedev, who has been on the run since July 6.
• The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) has confirmed Medvedev's arrival but will not comment further for "reasons of security and privacy." Medvedev’s Norwegian lawyer, Brynjulf Risnes, said he fled to Norway after allegedly witnessing war crimes in Russia.
• Human rights advocate Vladimir Osechkin said Medvedev had been the commander of fellow mercenary Yevgeny Nuzhin, whose execution for defecting to the Ukraine military had been posted online by channels believed to be linked by Wagner.
• By his own account, Medvedev has said he approached the first house he found after crossing the border. In an interview with Osechkin, he also claimed to have fled after refusing "to participate in maneuvers of Yevgeny Prigozhin," the leader of Wagner.
• The Wagner Group consists largely of former Russian convicts who are recruited in prison and have spearheaded attacks in Ukraine. The group has also reportedly grown its presence in Africa.

Sources: FOX News, Independent, Guardian, Newsweek, and CNN.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by BBC. By his own account, Medvedev is now seeking asylum after witnessing the Wagner Group's terroristic methods. Medvedev is one of many young Russians who were forced into the military at 18 years old, but what makes him different, and hopefully deserving of asylum, is that he refused to commit the atrocities his superiors were ordering him to.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Grayzone. Atrocities are certainly being committed by Russia, but the mainstream media has actively suppressed any similar tactics used by the other side. In Ukraine, several opposition politicians and human rights advocates accused of being "pro-Russian" appear to have been kidnapped, tortured or mysteriously found dead. If the West cares about global human rights, both sides must be investigated and held to account.