A German national, identified as Rico Krieger, has been sentenced to death in Belarus after being convicted of six crimes including mercenary activity. The exact allegations against Krieger were not immediately clear, but the Viasna Human Rights Centre reported that he had been part of the Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment, a group of Belarusian volunteers fighting in Ukraine. This was the first trial for mercenary activity in Belarus.
Belarus is the only European country to actively use capital punishment, reserving it for serious crimes such as murder, terrorism, and treason. The regime of President Alexander Lukashenko has been criticized for detaining thousands of dissidents and civic activists.
The German foreign ministry confirmed that they are providing consular support to Krieger and are working with Belarusian authorities on his behalf. Belarus’s justice ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the case. The German national had previously worked for the German Red Cross and as an armed security officer for the US embassy in Berlin.
The opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya expressed concern over the reports and stated that she is collecting more information on his case. It is still unclear whether Krieger has appealed against the death sentence. Belarus is reported to have executed up to 400 people since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
Source
Photo credit www.theguardian.com