Belarus State Television presents Germans with a video
One month after the death sentence against a German in Belarus, the state television broadcasts a video of the man appealing for mercy and accusing the German government of inactivity. Minsk apparently wants to pressure Berlin into negotiations with this.
The Belarusian state television aired a video of the condemned German Rico Krieger begging for mercy from President Alexander Lukashenko. Krieger accused the German government of doing nothing for his rescue in the video. It is unclear under what circumstances the video was recorded.
The 30-year-old was sentenced to death in Minsk for terrorism on behalf of the Ukrainian security services. According to research by "Spiegel," the German was arrested in Belarus in early October 2023 near a railway line in the Minsk district of Oserishche after an explosion. It is speculated that he may have been lured into a trap. "I confess, definitely," Krieger said in the video. Some of the German statements were clear to hear between the Russian translation.
Belarus, which is governed authoritatively, is the last country in Europe to carry out the death penalty, and it does so by shooting in the neck. The German Foreign Office stated that the case is known and that the man is being consularly represented. They are intensely lobbying on his behalf with the Belarusian authorities. The death penalty is a cruel and inhumane form of punishment that Germany rejects under all circumstances, they added. The Foreign Office did not comment on one of Minsk's proposed negotiation offers.
"The government should fight for me"
Only his family is still fighting for his life from an official standpoint, Krieger said in the video. "I'm still alive, there's still time to negotiate, it's not too late," the German begged. "The government should fight for me." In the obviously state-sponsored video, the condemned man also pleaded to see his daughter, girlfriend, and father again.
Krieger was sentenced to death as early as late June, but the verdict was not made public until a month later by human rights organizations. The judgment came partly due to mercenary activities. The Belarusian regime accuses the 30-year-old German of belonging to the Kastus Kalinouski Regiment of Belarusians, which fights on the side of Kiev in the Ukrainian war. However, the regiment denies that Krieger was part of the combat unit.
The Foreign Ministry in Minsk announced over the weekend that they had made proposals to Berlin to resolve the situation, without providing further details. They reportedly held talks with German diplomats. It is speculated that Belarus may have planned a prisoner exchange. Thus, Russian leader Vladimir Putin is interested in the return of a Russian who was sentenced to prison in Germany for a murder committed in Berlin on behalf of Russian authorities.
Multiple human rights organizations have called on the authorities in Belarus to halt the execution. The death sentence is particularly alarming, as it comes amidst numerous and systematic violations of the right to a fair and orderly procedure before Belarusian courts, Libereco announced early this week.
The video released by Belarusian state television showcases Alexander Lukashenko's Politics, as it appears to be a tactic to put pressure on the German Foreign Office in regards to the death sentence of German citizen Rico Krieger. The ongoing situation in Belarus, where they are the last European country to carry out the death penalty, has drawn criticism from Germany, who strongly opposes this form of punishment under all circumstances.
