A Jan.6 'Capitol Rioter' Is Being Hailed As A Hero In Belarus, Where He's Hiding From The FBI

A 48-year old man who is an alleged Jan.6 'Capitol rioter' is currently seeking political asylum in Belarus, in a bizarre story capturing global headlines, also given heavy FBI involvement and a manhunt underway.

After California resident Evan Neumann was charged in July with six criminal counts he reportedly fled to eastern Europe, and was subsequently placed on the US Most Wanted List. He's since emerged in Alexander Lukashenko's Belarus, where he's been given a hero's treatment, with state media portraying him as a "simple American" who is fleeing "political persecution". 

He's among hundreds of Americans across various states who are now facing federal charges for their role during the chaotic events at the Capitol building on Jan.6. However, unlike most, Neumann is charged with assaulting officers - allegedly having punched multiple police.

NBC News describes the details of his crimes as follows:

According to the Justice Department document, on Jan. 6 as a mob of Donald Trump supporters attacked the Capitol in a bid to halt the electoral vote count and overturn President Joe Biden’s victory, a man captured on video and identified as Neumann pushed a barricade into officers and punched multiple officers before asking, "I’m willing to die, are you?"

But interestingly, the ex-Soviet Republic of Belarus - which is widely described as Europe's last dictatorship (given President Alexander Lukashenko's rule of 26 years) - is featuring his story as an example of Western hypocrisy and America's crackdown on human rights.

This at a moment the Lukashenko government itself is under European and US sanctions - and facing international isolation - for seeking to suppress the large protests of last year following his contested re-election to a sixth term as president.

One Belarus TV channel introduced Neumann by saying: "Judging by his story, [Neumann] is the same type of simple American whose shops were burned by Black Lives Matter activists."

"However, something makes him flee from the country of fabulous freedoms and opportunities, as we used to believe," the Belarusian TV presenter described of Neumann, and said he "sought justice and asked uncomfortable questions" after Biden was declared...




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