May 8, Pozirk. Belarusian national Jarasłaŭ Novikaŭ has been granted asylum in Armenia, Mediazona reported, citing lawyer Araik Papikyan.
Novikaŭ left Belarus last spring and was arrested as he crossed from Georgia into Armenia at the request of Belarusian security forces that accused him of draft evasion.
In early February, Novikaŭ applied for political asylum after an Armenian judge had placed him in custody pending extradition.
Armenian human rights defenders and Belarusian opposition politicians provided him assistance.
Belarusian opposition leader Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja discussed his case in late March with Alen Simonyan, president of the National Assembly of Armenia.
