Repressive Belarus an awkward landing place for rebellious Russian mercenary boss

By The Associated Press

Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin was notorious for unbridled and profane challenges to authority even before the attempted rebellion that he mounted Saturday. The reported agreement for him to go into exile in Belarus would place him in a country where such behavior is even less acceptable than in his homeland. Prigozhin on Sunday was uncharacteristically silent as his Wagner private army forces pulled back from Russian cities after a Kremlin announcement that he had agreed to depart for Belarus. It remains unclear whether he’s actually there. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko reportedly negotiated the deal. But Prigozhin’s maverick ways are at odds with Lukashenko’s harsh repression of dissent and independent media.