Belarus president pardons German citizens on death row
- 31 July, 08:44
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has pardoned a German citizen Rico Krieger who was sentenced to death by firing squad for terrorism, Belarusian state media reported on July 30.
Lukashenko "took the decision to pardon the German citizen Rico Krieger... taking into account all the circumstances," Belta news agency reported, citing the president's press service.
Germany confirmed the report about its citizen’s pardoning in Berlin, with a spokesperson for Germany's Foreign Office saying that “The news comes as a relief," according to Reuters.
The pardoning comes after Krieger, 30, was shown on Belarusian public television as saying "I really hope that President Lukashenko will forgive me and pardon me.” The German man Krieger was convicted on six criminal counts including terrorism in a secret trial held in late June.
The Belarusian leader held a meeting to consider pardoning Krieger on Tuesday.
"I've already said before that the hardest thing in the life of a president is such cases related to the death penalty," Lukashenko was quoted as saying at the meeting. Earlier on that day, Lukashenko met with the head of Belarus’ KGB security service, Krieger’s lawyer and the investigator overseeing his case to consider whether to pardon the German national, according to the state news agency Belta.
“Whether he appeals or doesn’t appeal [for a pardon], I’ve already said the most difficult thing in the fate of the president is such cases involving the exceptional measure of punishment,” Lukashenko was quoted as saying.
