Belarus TV: American facing Jan. 6 riot charges seeks asylum

By YURAS KARMANAU
Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Belarus state TV reported that an American who faces criminal charges from the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol is seeking asylum in Belarus, a move that could heighten tensions between the turbulent former Soviet nation and the United States. Evan Neumann of Mill Valley, California, acknowledged in an interview with the Belarus 1 channel that he was at the Capitol that day but rejected the charges, which include assaulting police, obstruction and other offenses. Both Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin have used the Jan. 6 riot as a way to accuse the U.S. of a double standard in criticizing other countries, including Russia and Belarus, for cracking down on antigovernment protests.