German prisoner in Belarus: Berlin concerned about video
The German government is "very concerned" about a video aired on Belarusian television featuring a German citizen sentenced to death. "It is unfortunately common practice in Belarus to present people like this in videos or on television," said a spokeswoman for the German Foreign Office in Berlin. "And we are of course very concerned about the dignity of the affected persons, whose rights are seriously violated by such displays."
The spokeswoman appealed to the leadership in Belarus (formerly White Russia), "to abandon such practices fundamentally, but of course also in this case."
In the video aired on Thursday by the state television, the sentenced German man appeals to Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko for mercy. The German government is doing nothing for his rescue, the man says. He was reportedly sentenced in Minsk for terrorism on behalf of the Ukrainian intelligence service. "I confess, definitely," he says in the video. Some of the German statements are 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 in the neck. The Foreign Office stated that the man would be consularly represented. There are serious questions about how the video came about.
The man was sentenced to death in June. However, the verdict was not made public until a month later by civil rights organizations. The Foreign Ministry in Minsk informed Berlin of proposals to resolve the situation. It was speculated that Belarus, which is allied with Russia, might have planned a prisoner exchange. The German government did not comment on this.
- Despite the German government's concerns, it appears to be a common practice in Belarus to use videos or television broadcasts to present individuals like the German prisoner, as stated by the spokeswoman in Berlin.
- Regrettably, the video featuring the German man, sentenced to death in Minsk for supposed ties with Ukrainian intelligence, further highlights the unfortunate prevalence of such questionable practices in authoritarian Belarus.
- Unfortunately, the German government's efforts to intervene on behalf of the sentenced citizen have so far been unsuccessful, as they appear to be powerless to prevent such mistreatment and flagrant violation of human rights in Belarus.
