German appeals to Belarusian president for clemency amidst death sentence

German citizen Rico Krieger, sentenced to death in Belarus, has appealed to Alexander Lukashenko for clemency, the press service of the Belarusian leader announced on Telegram.

Much of the information provided by Russian and Belarusian state media or officials may be false. Such reports could be part of the information war the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus waged.

According to the independent portal Nasza Niwa, the clemency application has been submitted, and a meeting with individuals knowledgeable about the matter is occurring.

There is currently no information on whether any decision has been made regarding Krieger. Nexta reports that the German's lawyer claims he has spoken with the Belarusian leader.

Rico Krieger was sentenced to death on 24 June. The authorities accused him of organising an explosion at the Azjaryszcza railway station near Minsk in October 2023.

Krieger's sentencing is the first verdict issued under the criminal code article on "an act of terror" since Belarus introduced legal changes in 2022 that allow for wider application of the death penalty.

Wiasna, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), and other organisations have appealed to the authorities in Minsk to halt the execution. They emphasized that in light of cases of severe human rights violations in Belarus, many of which can be classified as crimes against humanity, including numerous and systematic violations of the right to due process and fair trial, the use of the death penalty is of particular concern.