German citizen sentenced to death in Belarus

A German citizen has been sentenced to death in Belarus, human rights organizations working in the country have reported.

The former rescue worker for the German Red Cross was accused of mercenary activities, espionage, terrorism, creating an extremist organization, destroying a traffic object and illegal handling of weapons, explosives and ammunition, the Belarusian human rights organization Viasna, said on Friday.

He was sentenced to be shot for his alleged involvement in an explosives attack. The judgement was handed down about a month ago, but has only now become known.

The authorities in Minsk have not officially announced the sentence.

When asked by dpa, the Foreign Ministry in Berlin stated that the case was known to them.

"The Federal Foreign Office and the embassy in Minsk are providing consular support to the person concerned and are working intensively with the Belarusian authorities on his behalf," it said in a statement.

Berlin fundamentally rejects the death penalty as cruel and inhumane.

Human rights activists say the case is connected to a regiment consisting mainly of Belarusian volunteers that is fighting in Ukraine on Kiev's side against the Russian invasion.

Belarus is officially neutral in the war. However, Russia invaded Ukraine partly via Belarusian territory during its large-scale attack. Relations between Minsk and Kiev are tense.

The German, who comes from Berlin, has been in custody since November 2023. According to information obtained by Viasna, he worked briefly as a security guard at the US embassy in Berlin.

More than 1,000 people are considered political prisoners in the country. Belarus is the only country in Europe that still imposes the death penalty. Those sentenced to death are shot.