Belarus

2022 - 3 - 22

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Image courtesy of "The Conversation UK"

Ukraine: the complex calculations that will decide whether Belarus ... (The Conversation UK)

Belarus president Alexandr Lukashenko has a difficult decision to make if he wants to help his ally Vladimir Putin in Ukraine.

He has emphasised that Belarus has tried to mediate in the war and has so far successfully resisted Ukrainian and western efforts to drag his country into the conflict. As western sanctions expand, the economic situation in Belarus keeps deteriorating. This must be seen as an attempt to “balance” Russian influence by emphasising the longstanding economic relations between Belarus and China. Parts of the IT sector, especially companies owned by foreign investors, have relocated Belarusian employees to other countries as well. And other major population centres, including Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Sumy in the north remain in Ukrainian hands, despite Russia’s efforts to occupy them. In addition, Russia’s advance in Ukraine continues to stall.

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Image courtesy of "NPR"

A Jan. 6 Capitol riot suspect wanted by the FBI was granted refugee ... (NPR)

Evan Neumann is under federal indictment in the U.S. for more than a dozen charges linked to last year's Capitol insurrection. Russian ally Belarus has ...

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Image courtesy of "Los Angeles Times"

California man granted asylum in Belarus after Jan. 6 riot (Los Angeles Times)

Evan Neumann, wanted by the FBI on charges related to the Jan. 6 riot in Washington, has been granted asylum in Belarus, officials told state media.

Neumann is the son of late Santa Rosa hotelier Claus Neumann, and in the days after the riots, an anonymous tipster claiming to be a family friend gave Neumann’s name and home address to federal authorities. Neumann, who has had several businesses, including a handbag one, was then allowed to leave the country. Around 2 p.m, according to the government, Neumann used the barricade as a battering ram, lifting it off the ground and rushing toward the officers. Neumann, who spent time in Eastern Europe and reportedly supported the pro-democratic Orange Revolution, also sported a gas mask, according to the government. But by then, according to the FBI, he was already in Belarus, a former Soviet republic and current staging ground for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. On Feb. 16, 2021, FBI agents staked out Neumann’s house in Mill Valley and then followed him to the international terminal at San Francisco International Airport, where they interviewed him.

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Image courtesy of "The Guardian"

US man charged in Capitol attack gets asylum in Belarus (The Guardian)

Evan Neumann, accused of hitting police with metal barricade, tells Belarusian state TV he has 'mixed feelings' about the move.

Evan Neumann, 49, was charged a year ago with assaulting police, including using a metal barricade as a battering ram during the riot last year. Court documents state Neumann stood at the front of a police barricade wearing a red “Make America Great Again” hat in support of Donald Trump. “Today I have mixed feelings,” Neumann told the state-owned television network BelTA in the report aired on Tuesday, the Washington Post reported.

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Image courtesy of "NBC News"

Jan. 6 suspect who fled U.S. granted refugee status by Belarus (NBC News)

The man, Evan Neumann, faces several charges, including that he assaulted police officers when he participated in the riot.

It is a political persecution, not a criminal investigation, but political persecution,” Neumann said of the charges in the TV interview. Neumann was wanted on six criminal charges, according to a filing with the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., in March 2021. “One of the charges was particularly insulting, namely that I hit a police officer. I am upset because I found myself in such a situation that there were problems in my native country." Neumann said in an interview with the news agency, "I feel safe in Belarus. Calm. I like the country. "He explained that he noticed surveillance there, began to fear for his life and health.

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Image courtesy of "NewsNation Now"

Capitol riot suspect gets asylum in Belarus (NewsNation Now)

A man accused of assaulting police during the Capitol riot has a new safe haven free from federal prosecutors. He was granted asylum in Belarus.

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Image courtesy of "WesternSlopeNow"

Belarus grants asylum to suspect in US Capitol riot (WesternSlopeNow)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A former San Francisco Bay Area resident facing federal criminal charges from the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol has been granted ...

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Image courtesy of "WTVB News"

Sanofi halts new spending on non-essential drugs in Russia and ... (WTVB News)

PARIS (Reuters) - French drugmaker Sanofi on Wednesday said it would stop immediately any new spending not related to the supply of essential and life...

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US, UK, Canada export credit agencies halt support to Russia ... (WTVB News)

In a joint statement issued by the U.S. Export-Import Bank, the agencies said they would continue financing support for exports to Ukraine. “This decision ...

A U.S. EXIM spokesperson said the bank has not provided loans or guarantees to Russian entities since Moscow’s 2014 annexation of Crimea under an administrative hold on processing Russian applications. “This decision builds on the wide-ranging packages of sanctions and measures imposed on the Russian Federation and Belarus since the beginning of military operations, and we encourage any ECA that has not already done so, to join us in this step to impose financial pressure on the two countries,” the export credit agencies said in the statement In a joint statement issued by the U.S. Export-Import Bank, the agencies said they would continue financing support for exports to Ukraine.

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Image courtesy of "New York Post"

US Capitol riot suspect Evan Neumann granted asylum in Belarus (New York Post)

Evan Neumann -- a California man wanted by the FBI for allegedly assaulting police officers during the US Capitol riot -- has been granted asylum in ...

“He explained that he noticed surveillance there [and] began to fear for his life and health,” immigration official Yuri Brazinsky told the news agency. In August, he crossed the border into Belarus by foot illegally and was detained. “I feel safe in Belarus,” Neumann said.

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