US Capitol rioter seeks asylum in Belarus, state TV reports

By YURAS KARMANAU
Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A state broadcaster in Belarus reports that a California man who faces criminal charges for participating in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol is seeking asylum in the European country. Evan Neumann acknowledged in an interview with TV channel Belarus 1 that he was at the Capitol on Jan. 6 but said he doesn’t think he committed any crimes. The channel promised to release the full interview on Wednesday. Neumann, who is 48, told Belarus 1 that he left the U.S. under the pretense of a business trip in March and eventually ended up in Ukraine. Belarusian border guards detained him when he tried to enter the country in mid-August, the broadcaster said.