Capital punishment in Belarus - Belarus: Television shows executed German contrary to law
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, he said. He was reportedly convicted in Minsk for terrorism on behalf of the Ukrainian security services. "I confess, definitely", he said. Some of the German statements were clearly audible between the Russian translation.
Authoritarian Belarus carries out the death penalty as the last country in Europe, and it does so by shooting. 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 ministry, however, did not comment on a proposal for negotiations made by Minsk.
"The government should fight for me"
Only his own family still fights for his life from an official standpoint, he said in the video launched by the Belarusian leadership. "I'm still alive, there's still time to negotiate, it's not too late", he pleaded. "The government should fight for me." The condemned man begged in the apparent video launched by the Belarusian leadership to see his daughter, his girlfriend, and his father again.
He repeatedly emphasized that he had made the biggest 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 they had made proposals to Berlin to resolve the situation. Details about this were not given.
It was speculated that Belarus, which is allied with Russia, could be considering a prisoner exchange. So, Russian leader Vladimir 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 a proper legal procedure before Belarusian courts, Libereco stated at the beginning of the week.
- The condemned man, a German national, was sentenced to death in Belarus for terrorist activities on behalf of Ukrainian security services, as reported in Minsk.
- The Foreign Office in Berlin acknowledged the case, stating that they will provide consular assistance to the man, opposed to the death penalty as a cruel and inhumane form of punishment.
- Lukashenko, considered the last dictator in Europe, is the president of Belarus, known for carrying out death sentences, including against foreigners.
- The man's last hope lies in a pardon from Lukashenko, as he repeatedly expressed regret for his actions, claiming no one was harmed during the incidents.
- Human rights organizations, including Libereco, have condemned the death sentence and called on the Belarusian authorities to halt the execution, citing numerous violations of the right to a fair trial.
- Amidst this international controversy, speculations about a possible prisoner exchange between Belarus and Germany have risen, with Belarus potentially looking to secure the release of a Russian prisoner sentenced in Berlin for a murder in the Berlin Tiergarten.
- Meanwhile, Russian leader Vladimir Putin had a meeting with Lukashenko on the monastery island Valaam, potentially discussing this matter.
