Authoritarian leader of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has pardoned German citizen Rico Krieger, sentenced to death. This was reported by the Belarusian state agency BELTA.
July 30, it became known that Krieger wrote a petition for clemency. The death sentence was passed by Minsk voblast court in late June – Rico Krieger, allegedly, did not appeal it.
Krieger was found guilty of mercenarism, agent activity, act of terrorism, creation of “extremist formation,” illegal actions with firearms and explosives, deliberately disabling a vehicle or means of communication. The case is related to the explosion at the railway station Ozerishche near Minsk in October 2023. No one was injured as a result of the explosion. Belarusian official media claimed that Krieger acted on the assignment of the special services of Ukraine.
Last week, the state-run Belarus 1 channel broadcast a story with Krieger, where he said that he had acted on the assignment of the Security Service of Ukraine and “was tricked around his finger.” He also said he regretted what he had done and expressed hope for a pardon, Real Time notes. Under what circumstances the video was shot, it is not reported.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus said earlier that it was consulting with the German side regarding the fate of Rico Krieger. “Given the request of the German Foreign Ministry, the Belarusian side has proposed specific solutions to the available options for the development of the situation,” said a representative of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry. The German Foreign Ministry stated that the department and the German Embassy in Minsk “actively represent the interests of Krieger before the Belarusian authorities.” The commentary also notes that “the death penalty is a cruel and inhumane form of punishment, which is rejected by Germany under any circumstances.”
