The Belarusian authorities are preparing to execute Rico Krieger, a German citizen found guilty of terrorism in June, according to the state-run news outlet Belarus Today.
Krieger was a former German Red Cross employee. He reportedly chose not to appeal the verdict, though this information has not been independently verified.
While the death sentence has legally come into force, no execution date has been set as of July 24th.
Krieger faces execution by firing squad.
Details of the Conviction
Krieger was convicted of multiple charges.
Prosecutors accused him of receiving instructions from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) to conduct reconnaissance and take photographs of Belarusian military installations in October. He was also found guilty of planting explosives on a railway line and causing an explosion on October 5.
The Belarusian human rights organization Viasna confirmed Krieger's conviction on Friday, stating he was found guilty on multiple counts of extremism, terrorism, and mercenary activity. These charges were related to his alleged involvement with a battalion of foreign fighters within a Belarusian military formation in the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
A spokesperson for the battalion, however, told Novaya Gazeta Europe on Saturday that they had no ties to Krieger, accusing Belarusian authorities of attempting to discredit them.
The German Foreign Ministry, despite not recognizing the authority of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, maintains an embassy in Minsk. The ministry reported providing Krieger with intensive consular support from the beginning and actively defending his interests to the Belarusian authorities, according to Deutsche Welle.
Belarus remains the only country in Europe where the death penalty is still in force, with at least 15 crimes punishable by death.
