The former Soviet Republic of Belarus (Belarus) is the only country in Europe where the death penalty is still carried out. This is apparently what is now threatening a German citizen convicted of “terrorism” and “mercenaryism”. German authorities are now fighting for the life of the former Red Cross emergency aid worker.
The Foreign Ministry in Berlin says the case is known and that German authorities are working “intensively” for the man. The trial was partly held behind closed doors. The Belarusian state news agency Belta did not initially report on the case. According to the human rights organization Vyasna, the German’s conviction is related to the so-called Kastus Kalinouski Regiment, a military unit made up of Belarusian volunteers who fight alongside Ukraine against Russia. In Belarus, the regiment is classified as an “extremist group.”
Sabotage of railway lines and infrastructure objects
According to Vyasna, the court found the German guilty of a total of six charges, including the creation or participation in an “extremist group”, sabotage and intelligence activities. The man has been in custody since November 2023, the NGO reports. Since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, supported by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, several people have been arrested in the country on charges of committing acts of sabotage in favor of Kiev.
After the invasion began, opponents of the Russian war of aggression in Belarus also made inoperable infrastructure objects, such as railway lines in their own country, which were used by the Russian army. They are called railway partisans there. In Belarus, among other things, weapons and other military equipment are produced for Putin’s war against Ukraine.
Is German used as a bargaining chip?
To date, there are no known cases of Belarus carrying out the death penalty against foreigners. Instead, Rico Krieger, as the German is called, could be used by Lukashenko as a bargaining chip. According to the Belarusian Foreign Ministry, “concrete proposals for solutions” have already been made to Berlin.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
