Andrey Medvedev, Article 1F, Asylum, Joris van Wijk, Maarten P. Bolhuis, NATO, Non-Refoulement, political asylum, Refugee Law, Russian defections, Russian mercenary, Ukraine, Wagner Group
By Joris van Wijk is associate professor criminology and Maarten P. Bolhuis is assistant professor criminology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdamd , Center for International Criminal Justice
January 2023 a former commander with the infamous Russian mercenary Wagner Group – Andrey Medvedev – sought asylum in Norway. He claims to have deserted the organization, to have witnessed Wagner group members committing war crimes in Ukraine and to be willing to assist in holding them criminally accountable. This case raises a complex conundrum; can and should deserters like Medvedev be granted protection? And at what price?