death penalty - German prisoner in Belarus: Berlin concerned about video
The German government is "very concerned" about a video of a German sentenced to death that was broadcast on Belarusian television. "It is unfortunately common practice in Belarus to present people in videos or on television," said a spokesperson for the Foreign Office in Berlin. "And we are of course very concerned about the dignity of the affected individuals, whose rights are severely violated by such public display."
The spokesperson appealed to the leadership in Belarus (formerly White Russia), "to cease such practices fundamentally, but of course also in this case."
In the video broadcast on Thursday by the state television, the sentenced German man appeals to Alexander Lukashenko for mercy. He says that the German government does nothing for his rescue. The man was reportedly sentenced to death in Minsk for terrorism on behalf of the Ukrainian security services. "I confess, definitely," he says in the video. Some of the German statements can be clearly heard between the Russian translation.
Authoritarian Belarus carries out the last death sentence in Europe, and it does so by shooting. The Foreign Office stated that the man would be consularly represented. There are serious questions about how the video was produced.
The man was sentenced to death in June. However, the sentence was not made public until a month later by civil rights organizations. The Foreign Ministry in Minsk stated that they had made proposals to Berlin to resolve the situation. It was speculated that Belarus, which is allied with Russia, might have had plans for a prisoner exchange in mind. The German government did not comment on this.
- Despite being concerned about the German's treatment in Belarus, the German government has yet to comment on potential prisoner exchange plans.
- The video of the German man's appeal on Belarusian television sparked concerns about human rights violations in the country, formerly known as White Russia.
- The German man, sentenced to death in Minsk for terrorism, expressed frustration with the German government's lack of action in his rescue bid.
- The broadcast of the video on Belarusian state television raised questions about the production process and the man's consent.
- Germany, along with the international community, is urging the Belarusian authorities to cease such practices, including the use of the death penalty, which is the last one carried out in Europe.
- The Federal government in Berlin has expressed its deep concern about the dignity and rights of the German citizen, who is now under threat in Belarus, a country embroiled in conflicts related to terrorism.
