An American facing criminal charges for participating in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol is seeking asylum in Belarus, the country's state TV reported. The move may further escalate the tensions between the turbulent ex-Soviet nation and the U.S.
KYIV, Ukraine — An American who faces criminal charges for participating in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol is seeking asylum in Belarus, the country’s state TV reported Monday — a move that may further heighten the tensions between the turbulent ex-Soviet nation and the United States.
Neumann was identified by investigators after someone who said they were a family friend called an FBI tip line with Neumann’s name and hometown of Mill Valley, California. He was charged in a U.S. federal criminal complaint, meaning a judge agreed that investigators presented sufficient probable cause that Neumann had committed the crimes.
He said he decided to illegally cross into the neighboring Belarus after he noticed surveillance by Ukraine’s security forces. “It is awful. It is political persecution,” Neumann told the TV channel.Belarusian border guards detained the American when he tried to cross into the country in mid-August, and he requested asylum in Belarus. Belarus doesn’t have an extradition treaty with the U.S.