(NewsNation) — A man accused of assaulting police during the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot has a new safe haven free from federal prosecutors. He was granted asylum in Belarus.
Evan Neumann, 49, was charged a year ago with assaulting police, including using a metal barricade as a battering ram, during the U.S. Capitol riot. In an interview with the Belarus 1 channel that aired last year, he acknowledged being at the building that day but rejected the charges and said he did not hit any officers.
Experts say the explanation for Belarus’ decision is simple.
“It wants to use this case for propaganda purposes,” Alla Leukavets, a fellow at The Wilson Center, said Wednesday on “Dan Abrams Live.”
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin have used the Jan. 6 riot as evidence of a double standard by the U.S. on anti-government crackdowns.
Belarus is a Russian ally and neighbor to Ukraine. It does not have an extradition agreement with the U.S.
“Lukashenko is now highly dependent on the Kremlin for his personal survival,” Leukavets said. “He’s ready to make many concessions to the Kremlin.”
Police body camera footage shows Neumann and others shoving a metal barricade into a line of officers before he punched two officers with his fist and hit them with the barricade, according to court papers. Court documents state Neumann stood at the front of a police barricade wearing a red “Make America Great Again” hat in support of then-President Donald Trump.