A court in Moscow arrested a former member of the Norwegian Parliament in absentia

The Basmanny Court of Moscow arrested in absentia former member of the Sami Parliament of Norway Sandra Andersen Eira, who is fighting in the International Legion on the side of Ukraine. Information about this appeared in the database of capital courts, reports “Mediazone”.

In Russia, Eira is accused of being a mercenary, and she has been put on the wanted list.

Eira was a member of the Norwegian Sámi Parliament from 2017 to 2021. After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, she joined the International Legion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as follows from the information on her page on Facebook.

In January 2024, a court in Russia arrested in absentia the 28-year-old head of a Scandinavian platoon of Ukrainian Armed Forces volunteers, Finn Topi Huhtala, as well as David Rurua and a military man from Latvia, Atvarse Aninše. They are also charged with mercenarism. Under this article, four members of the Georgian National Legion, as well as two volunteers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from Latvia, were previously arrested in absentia. Members of the Seimas Juris Jurashs and Alvis Lukshu.

According to the Investigative Committee of Russia, about 700 foreign citizens fighting on the side of Ukraine have been put on the wanted list. A number of citizens of the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland and Romania were prosecuted in absentia as defendants under the article on mercenarism.

After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, President Vladimir Zelensky announced the formation new division – International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine. The next day, Ukraine introduced a temporary visa-free regime for foreigners wishing to join this legion. Exactly how many foreign citizens are fighting on the side of Ukraine is unknown.