International human rights group calls on Belarus to stop execution of German

TALLINN, Estonia — A consortium of international human rights organizations is calling for Belarus not to execute a German citizen recently condemned to death after being convicted of terrorism, extremism and mercenary activities.

Rico Krieger, a medical worker with the German Red Cross, was convicted and sentenced in late June in a secret trial, according to the respected Belarusian human rights group Viasna. The German Foreign Ministry confirmed that a German was sentenced to death but gave no other details.

The court verdict said Krieger was involved in an explosion, Viasna said, but other information from the closed trial was not available.

Belarus is the only country in Europe that still executes prisoners. Reports say that convicts are informed on the day of the execution that it will take place. They are made to kneel and are shot in the back of the head minutes later.

The International Federation for Human Rights, which includes more than 180 rights organizations worldwide, said in a statement that it calls on Belarusian authorities “to immediately stop the execution of Rico Krieger regardless of the charges, and to fully abide by Belarus’ international human rights obligations, including the right to life, the right to be free from torture and ill-treatment, and the right to due process and a fair trial.”