German sentenced to death in Belarus, Europe's only nation to perform executions, rights group says

TALLINN, Estonia — A Belarusian human rights group said Friday that a German citizen has been sentenced to death for terrorism and other charges connected to an explosion intended to undermine public order.

Belarus is the only country in Europe that still executes prisoners and has come under wide criticism. Reports say that convicts are informed that their appeals have been rejected, then made to kneel and are shot in the back of the head minutes later.

The German Foreign Ministry said it was aware of the case. It said the ministry and the German Embassy in Minsk were providing consular support to the person affected and advocating for him with Belarusian authorities, but it didn't state his name or other details.

The respected human rights group Viasna, whose imprisoned founder is a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, identified the man sentenced as a German Red Cross medical worker named Rico Krieger. It said he was sentenced in late June in a closed trial for charges including mercenary activity, terrorism and creating an extremist group.

The verdict said he was guilty of “committing an explosion in order to influence decision-making by authorities, intimidate the population (and) destabilize public order,” Viasna said, but when and where the alleged explosion occurred was unknown.

“The death penalty is a cruel and inhuman form of punishment that Germany rejects under all circumstances,” the German ministry said.