By Nerijus Adomaitis and Gwladys Fouche
OSLO (Reuters) – A former commander of Russia’s Wagner group seeking asylum in Norway was convicted on Thursday of being involved in a bar fight and of carrying an air gun but was acquitted of committing violence against police.
Andrei Medvedev, 26, was handed down a suspended sentence of 14 days, with a probation period of two years.
“I want to thank the court for a fair ruling,” Medvedev told Reuters, adding he was looking to the future. “I am studying Norwegian and I hope I will get asylum.”
Medvedev crossed the Russian-Norwegian border in January and has spoken out about his time fighting in Ukraine.
On Tuesday he pleaded guilty to fighting outside an Oslo bar on Feb. 22 and preventing a police officer from doing his or her duty. He also pleaded guilty to carrying an air gun in public on a separate occasion on March 14.
But Medvedev had pleaded not guilty to a fourth charge, the most serious one, of committing violence against a police officer. He was acquitted on that charge on Thursday.
The prosecution had asked for a jail sentence of 18 days.
The court said the prosecution had been unable to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. The suspended sentence is not expected to influence Medvedev’s asylum application.
Separately, Medvedev will continue to speak with Norwegian police about his time with Wagner. Russia denies accusations of war crimes in the conflict.
“Now he can avoid jail and focus on what he came (to Norway) for: explain (about his time) in the war in Ukraine,” his lawyer, Brynjulf Risnes, told Reuters.
Norwegian police earlier said they wanted to continue to question Medvedev as a witness.
In February, Medvedev told Reuters had fought in Ukraine, including in the region around Bakhmut, at the centre of months of fierce battles between Russian and Ukrainian forces.
Reuters could not independently verify his assertions.
(Reporting by Nerijus Adomaitis and Gwladys Fouche; Editing by Nick Macfie)
