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Belarus. Media: court issues death sentence in case of German citizen, 30-year-old Rico Krieger

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The Minsk regional court has issued a death sentence in the case of a German citizen, the opposition MotolkoPomogi channel reported on Telegram. According to the media, the convicted person is 30-year-old Rico Krieger. The German Foreign Ministry said that Berlin is in intensive contact with the authorities in Minsk about his fate.

On Belarus The man was allegedly charged with mercenary activity, agent activity, an act of terrorism, the creation of an extremist group, deliberate destruction of a means of transport and illegal activities with weapons. According to the MotolkoPomogi channel, Krieger was sentenced to death by shooting. The Viasna Human Rights Center writes that at the moment it does not have confirmation of this information, but is trying to clarify the fate of the citizen German. MotolkoPomogi is an opposition Telegram channel run by activist Anton Motolka.

Defenders human rights from Wiasna have no information about what the charges against Krieger were specifically about, and official structures did not inform about the arrest in a similar case. The trial was led by judge Aleh Łapieka. Since June 6, the case has had 12 hearings, and the verdict was issued on June 24. It is not known whether an appeal has been filed.

The Zierkało portal notes that Krieger has been working as a paramedic since 2021. In 2014-2017, he was allegedly a security guard at the embassy USA in Berlin.

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German Foreign Ministry: We are in contact with the authorities in Minsk

The German Foreign Ministry said Berlin was in intensive contact with the authorities in Minsk about his fate. “The case is known to the Foreign Ministry. The Foreign Ministry and the embassy in Minsk are providing consular support to the person concerned and are intensively cooperating with the Belarusian authorities in his case,” it said in a statement.

“The death penalty is a cruel and inhumane form of punishment that Germany rejects under all circumstances. We work worldwide to abolish it and work hard against its introduction, together with all those affected,” it added.

Death penalty in Belarus

Belarus is the only country in Europe and the post-Soviet Commonwealth of Independent States that still carries out the death penalty. It is prescribed for the most serious crimes and cannot be imposed on women or men over 65 or under 18. The sentence is carried out by shooting.

According to estimates by human rights activists, about 400 executions have been carried out since the establishment of independent Belarus.

They have repeatedly appealed to the Belarusian authorities to abolish the death penalty or introduce a moratorium on its execution. European UnionThe Council of Europe, OSCE and international human rights organizations.

Main image source: Shutterstock



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