Lantern Videos - Belarus State Television broadcasts the execution of a German
A German man sentenced to death in Belarus (formerly White Russia) has pleaded for mercy from ruler Alexander Lukashenko in a video broadcast by the state television. The German government is doing nothing for his salvation, the man said. He was reportedly convicted in Minsk for terrorism on behalf of the Ukrainian intelligence services. "I confess, definitely", he said. Some of the German statements could be clearly heard between the Russian translation.
Authoritarian Belarus carries out the last execution in Europe, and it does so by shooting in the neck. The Foreign Office in Berlin stated that the case is known. The man will be consularly represented. The death penalty is a cruel and inhumane form of punishment that Germany rejects under all circumstances, it was stated. The Foreign Office, however, did not comment on a proposal for negotiations made by Minsk.
"The government should fight for me"
Only his own family is still fighting for his life from an official standpoint, the man said in the video that was apparently launched by the Belarusian leadership under tears. "I'm still alive, there's still time to negotiate, it's not too late yet", he pleaded. "The government should fight for me." The condemned man begged in the obviously Belarusian-backed video to see his daughter, his girlfriend, and his father again.
He repeatedly emphasized that he had made the greatest mistake of his life. "I regret every single second", he said. "I can only speak of luck that no one was killed or injured. God be thanked!"
His last hope is a pardon from Lukashenko, who is considered the last dictator in Europe and has also carried out death sentences against foreigners before. "I can only hope that the president of this country, Mr. Lukashenko, forgives me", he said.
Is Minsk considering a prisoner exchange?
The man was sentenced to death in June. However, the verdict was not made public until a month later by civil rights organizations. The indictment also included mercenary activities.
The Foreign Ministry in Minsk stated that it had made proposals to Berlin to resolve the situation. There were no details about this.
It was speculated that Belarus, which is allied with Russia, could be considering a prisoner exchange. So, Putin is interested in the return of a Russian who was sentenced to prison in Germany for a murder in the Berlin Tiergarten on behalf of Russian authorities. Putin received Lukashenko on the Monastery Island Valaam on Lake Ladoga near St. Petersburg.
Several human rights organizations have called on the authorities in Belarus to stop the execution. The death sentence is particularly alarming because it shows numerous and systematic violations of the right to a fair trial and an orderly procedure before Belarusian courts, Libereco stated at the beginning of the week.
- Amidst the Top News and World headlines, the situation of the German prisoner in Belarus has sparked concerns, with calls for a prisoner swap being suggested.
- The German man, confined in Belarus, has shown hope for a pardon from President Alexander Lukashenko, as Minsk is rumored to be considering such an exchange involving a Russian prisoner in Germany.
- The intelligence service of Ukraine is mentioned in the man's conviction for terrorism in Minsk, adding complexity to the diplomatic situation between Belarus, Germany, and potentially Russia.
- As the German government champions for mercy and mercy pleas pour in from the condemned man, discussions surrounding a possible prisoner exchange between Belarus and Germany are gaining traction in the international arena.
