- Belarus granted asylum to a Capitol riot suspect who is wanted by the FBI.
- Evan Neumann claimed he was afraid of being tortured by the US justice system.
- Neumann faces six charges for his involvement in the insurrection, including assaulting police officers.
A Capitol riot suspect accused of attacking police during the insurrection and is wanted by the FBI has been granted asylum in Belarus, local media reported.
"US citizen Evan Neumann has received refugee status in Belarus. The document was handed to him today in the Department of Citizenship and Migration of the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Brest Regional Executive Committee," a statement shared by the Belarusian state-owned BelTA news agency said, according to a translation by The Daily Beast.
—БЕЛТА (@beltanews) March 22, 2022
"I feel safe in Belarus. It's calm, I like it in this country," Neumann said, The Daily Beast reported.
"Today I am experiencing mixed feelings. I'm glad that Belarus has taken care of me. I'm upset that I wound up in this situation, that in my native country there were such problems," he said, per the translation.
Neumann sold his home in California and fled the US in August 2021. He resurfaced in Belarus in November.
He had defended his move by saying he was afraid of being tortured by the US justice system.
"I have no hope in the US justice system right now. I'm not strong enough to withstand torture," he said in a November broadcast on the Belarusian state network ATN.
Neumann is on on the FBI's most-wanted list and faces six charges, including assaulting officers, obstructing law enforcement, knowingly entering the Capitol without permission, and violent conduct, according to documents filed to a Washington, DC, federal court.