Lukashenko pardons German national on death row

29-year-old Rico Krieger had been found guilty of terrorism-related charges by a Minsk court

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has granted a pardon to a German national, Rico Krieger, who had been sentenced to death on terrorism and other charges, the BelTA state news agency reported on Tuesday, citing the presidential press service.

According to media reports, a Minsk court found the 29-year-old Krieger guilty under six articles of the Criminal Code. He’d reportedly traveled to the country last autumn on the orders of Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), with the goal of carrying out a terrorist attack on a railway line.

“Krieger’s guilt in committing the crimes he was charged with had been fully established,” Deputy Head of the KGB Investigative Department Aleksandr Grib, who investigated the case, was quoted as telling journalists, following a meeting with Lukashenko on Tuesday.

The German national was reportedly found guilty of “mercenary activity,” “agent activity,” “[an] act of terrorism,” “creation of an extremist formation,” “intentional disrepair of a vehicle or communication lines,” as well as “illegal actions in relation to firearms, ammunition and explosives.”

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German national sentenced to death in Belarus

In an interview with Belarus-1 state TV, Krieger said the SBU ordered him to photograph military sites in Belarus and to plant explosives on a train line near Minsk. The explosives went off but there were reportedly no injuries. After the explosion, Krieger was planning to fly to Baku, Azerbaijan, but was detained by Belarusian special services.

The German said he regretted his actions and hoped to secure a pardon from Lukashenko.

Krieger reportedly did not immediately appeal the verdict. On July 30, he asked the Belarusian president for an official pardon.

“The head of state made a decision to grant [Krieger] clemency, taking into account all the circumstances,” BelTA wrote.

According to media reports, citing Krieger’s LinkedIn profile, he previously worked as a medical worker for the German Red Cross and as a security officer at the US embassy in Berlin.