A German man accused by Belarus of committing several crimes including “terrorism” and “mercenary activity” has been sentenced to death by firing squad, a Belarusian rights group said Friday.
Rico Krieger, 30, was convicted under six articles of Belarus’s criminal code in a secretive trial held at the end of June, the Viasna Human Rights Centre reported.
Part of the proceedings were held behind closed doors, the exact allegations against him were not immediately clear and Belarus’s official news agency did not report anything about his case.
The charges may be linked to the Kalinouski Regiment, a group of volunteer Belarusian fighters that has fought against Russia in the conflict in Ukraine, the group reported.
According to a LinkedIn profile that Viasna said belonged to Krieger, he worked as a rescue worker for the German Red Cross and as an armed officer for the US embassy in Berlin.
This was the first time someone has been tried for mercenary activity in Belarus, the group reported.
Belarus is the only European country to permit the death penalty, reserving it for serious crimes including terrorism and treason.
