Capitol riot suspect is granted refugee status in Belarus after fleeing US

Authored by edition.cnn.com and submitted by 11-110011
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(CNN) A US Capitol riot suspect who fled the United States has been granted refugee status in Belarus, according to Belarusian state-owned television BelTA.

The California man, Evan Neumann, went to Europe after being charged in connection with the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. Neumann initially settled in Ukraine, he said in an interview in November, but he claims he traveled to Belarus on foot after noticing that Ukrainian authorities were following him.

"Today I have mixed feelings," Neumann told BelTA on Tuesday. "I am glad Belarus took care of me. I am upset to find myself in a situation where I have problems in my own country."

BelTA wrote on social media that Neumann had been forced to leave the US because of "politically motivated charges." BelTA also posted images of Neumann with a government official, shaking hands and holding his new travel documents.

A federal grand jury in Washington indicted Neumann in December on 14 charges, including assaulting a police officer and engaging in physical violence on Capitol grounds. Neumann is accused of punching two officers at the Capitol on January 6 and using a metal barricade as a "battering ram" to strike officers trying to stop the mob.

Alu_sine on March 22nd, 2022 at 21:39 UTC »

This guy will be useful for propaganda in Belarus for a few months. He's in for a rude awakening when his celebratory status diminishes and finds himself utterly isolated both financially and linguistically. At 48, he'll have difficulty competing for manual labor work against men half his age.

GleeUnit on March 22nd, 2022 at 21:15 UTC »

Lmao, if there is a more perfect example of “congratulations, you played yourself” I haven’t seen it yet

EvenBetterCool on March 22nd, 2022 at 20:56 UTC »

Always said if you don't like it you can leave