Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has made the decision to pardon German citizen Rico Krieger, who was facing the death penalty in a secret trial held in late June. Krieger, 30, appeared on Belarusian public television last week, expressing hope for a pardon from President Lukashenko.
Authorities in Berlin condemned the Belarusian government for parading Krieger in public and rejected the death penalty under all circumstances. Lukashenko met with key officials to consider Krieger’s pardon, stating that such cases involving capital punishment are the most difficult.
Krieger’s lawyer and the head of Belarus’ KGB security service also expressed hope for a presidential pardon, anticipating a gesture of humanism towards Krieger. Belarus, a close ally of Moscow, is in negotiations with the U.S. for a potential prisoner exchange, including American citizens jailed in Russia.
Krieger, accused of terrorism and other crimes, worked as a medic for the German Red Cross and an armed security officer for the U.S. Embassy in Berlin.President Vladimir Putin has shown interest in exchanging Russian national Vadim Krasikov, currently serving a life sentence in Germany.
The case has drawn international attention, as Belarus is known to have executed many since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Amnesty International reports that executions of foreign citizens are rare in the country.
AFP contributed reporting.