This article was reprinted with permission after being published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
According to a media release from Lukashenka’s office on July 30th, European national Rico Krieger, who was sentenced to death on terrorism-related costs by a Belarusian court, received a pardon on the same day.
A Telegram channel associated with Lukashenka’s office , said , he convened a meeting with Belarusian KGB director Ivan Tertel, Krieger’s attorney, and Lyudmila Gladkaya, who works for a state-owned paper and just published the information of the prosecution against Krieger.
” ]Lukashenka ] invited people involved in the]pardoning ] process to hear details, thoughts, and to get ‘ opinions,'” the Pul Pergova channel said of the meeting that preceded the pardon.
Lukashenka’s workplace provided no further information about the pardon.
Prior to the Vyasna Human Rights group’s earlier reporting earlier this month, Krieger was sentenced to death in June for selfish exercise, terrorism, creating an extremist party, consciously damaging a car, and carrying out improper operations with weapons and explosives.
According to Vyasna, it was the first test in Belarus for “mercenary exercise”.
On July 25, the state-run Belarus-1 tv channel aired the picture of the 30-year-old Krieger shown sitting behind bars in cuffs and “repenting” for the acts he was sentenced for.
Krieger apologized and expressed regret in the 17-minute film, hoping that Lukashenka, who has ruled Belarus for 30 years, will grant him a pardon.
For years, it has been practiced in Belarus to show so-called forgiveness videos produced by opposition politicians or activists under the guise of coercion following their arrests.
Krieger’s” revelation” appeared as though it was being used for advertising functions, with him speaking German with a voice translation into Russian.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock criticized the Belarusian regime’s “unacceptable” display of a European national on broadcast after the spread.
She claimed that Krieger and his family were receiving diplomatic assistance from the Foreign Office and the German Embassy in Minsk.
According to Baerbock,” we must do everything to make sure that his freedom are preserved and continue to be protected.”
