A German was sentenced to death in Belarus
During a secret trial in Belarus, a German national was reportedly sentenced to death by shooting. According to the human rights organization Viasna, the 30-year-old was found guilty in a secret trial on June 24, 20XX, of six criminal charges. Previously, he was charged with "terrorism" and "mercenary activity."
Viasna also reported that the man was accused of organizing "explosions" in Belarus. The man has been in detention since November 2023. According to Viasna's statement on their website, the man is identified as Rico Krieger. He was born in Berlin and is a worker for the German Red Cross. He was a rescue worker and has a minor child at home, it is stated there.
Before Krieger joined the healthcare sector, he had worked as a special security officer in the German Foreign Ministry in Berlin, Viasna further writes on their website. The German is now reportedly sentenced to death by shooting, according to Viasna, with a reference to the Telegram channel MotolkoPomogi.
This is the first trial in Belarus for "mercenary activity," Viasna notes. It is unknown if an appeal was filed against the verdict and if it has become legally binding, the human rights organization explains. Viasna is internationally renowned, its founder Ales Byalyatski was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022.
Belarus is the only European country where the death penalty is still imposed and carried out - exclusively against men. The executions' data are not disclosed, and the bodies of the executed are not returned to their families. They are also not informed about the burial site.
Authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko maintains close relations with Russia and allowed Moscow to use his country as a staging ground for the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Tactical Russian nuclear weapons, rockets, and soldiers are stationed in Belarus. However, Belarusian soldiers have not yet participated in the campaign.
- The human rights organization Viasna has raised concerns about the death sentence imposed on a German national, Rico Krieger, in a secret trial in authoritarian Belarus, a country that still uses the death penalty, particularly against men.
- Despite being a rescue worker for the German Red Cross and having a minor child at home, Rico Krieger was found guilty of six charges, including "terrorism" and "mercenary activity," during the controversial trial in Belarus.
- The death penalty conviction of Rico Krieger comes at a time when Belarus, led by President Alexander Lukashenko, continues to maintain close ties with Russia, providing a staging ground for Russia's attack on Ukraine in February 2022.
- The international community has been closely watching the developments in Belarus, as the sentencing of Rico Krieger and the ongoing use of the death penalty in the country adds to concerns about the rule of law and human rights abuses under President Lukashenko's regime.
