Belarus Says Alleged U.S. Capitol Hill Rioter Is Seeking Asylum
Belarus state TV showcased an interview with an American fugitive wanted by the FBI who it said was seeking asylum.
(Bloomberg) -- Belarus state TV showcased an interview with an American fugitive wanted by the FBI who it said was seeking asylum over his alleged involvement in the storming of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of then President Donald Trump.
The man identified as Evan Neumann appeared in the report aired late Sunday on Belarus 1 TV’s flagship news show, which acknowledged it sounded “incredible” that a U.S. citizen was seeking asylum in the former Soviet republic. Belarus has been ruled by the authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko for more than 26 years.
Neumann is wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on five felony charges related to the Capitol Hill violence on Jan. 6, according to the U.S. Justice Department’s website. He denied wrongdoing in the interview.
Neumann crossed the Belarus border illegally in August through woods and swamps from neighboring Ukraine, according to the report, which showed him talking to a reporter in the Belarusian city of Brest near the Polish border. It didn’t explain why the information was being reported only now.
The U.S. Embassy in Belarus and Belarus 1 TV didn’t respond to requests for comment. Neumann couldn’t be reached for comment.
©2021 Bloomberg L.P.