A Belarusian court has sentenced German citizen Rico Krieger to death on terrorism changes linked to fighting with Belarusian opposition forces in Ukraine, it was announced on July 21. But observers believe Krieger’s case is linked to the Kremlin’s efforts to organise a prisoner swap and win the release of an FSB assassin currently serving a life sentence in a German jail.

Krieger’s conviction is the first time ever a foreign citizen has been sentenced to death in Belarus. The government recently broadened its anti-terrorism laws to make a mere “attempt” to commit an act of terror a crime punishable by death. Belarus is the only country in Europe where the death penalty is still carried out – in the same style as the Soviet KGB, with a bullet to the back of the head.

Speculation is mounting that the Kremlin is preparing for a potential prisoner swap for the Chechen-born Vadim Krasikov, who was convicted for an assassination of former Chechen field commander Zelimkhan Khangoshvili in Berlin in the so-called Tiergarten shooting.

The conviction of Krieger comes as a court in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg sentenced US journalist Evan Gershkovich to 16 years in prison on espionage charges on July 19 in a case widely seen as politically motivated.

The fact that Gershkovich’s trial was brought forward and finished in only three days has led to speculation that the Kremlin is keen to do a deal and that talks are ongoing behind the scenes. Moreover, within four days, a second sentencing of US-Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva to 6.5 years in a Russian jail for spreading “false information”, has only added to that speculation.

Lukashenko is a willing participant in this shell game, as it gives him the opportunity to negotiate with the German authorities, which he perceives as recognition of his legitimacy by Berlin. The German Foreign Ministry confirmed to German outlet taz that it was aware of the case.

“The Foreign Office and the embassy in Minsk are providing consular support to the person concerned and are working hard on his behalf with the Belarusian authorities. The death penalty is a cruel and inhumane form of punishment that Germany rejects under all circumstances,” the Foreign Ministry said.

Krieger, 29 years old, is a former rescue worker for the German Red Cross and has been charged with mercenary activity, espionage, terrorism, founding an extremist organisation, destruction of a traffic object and illegal handling of weapons, explosives and ammunition.

Russian sources have claimed that Krieger is linked to the Belarusian Kalinouski Regiment's foreign mechanised battalion "Western", reports Belarus in Focus, although the regiment itself denies any involvement by Krieger. The group is made up of Belarusian opposition volunteers, which was formed to defend Ukraine against the Russian invasion in 2022 and has been fighting in the war with Russia as part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU).

There are two reported versions of how Krieger ended up in a Belarusian jail. Russian media reported that Krieger was captured by Russian forces in November 2023 and subsequently handed over to Belarus. The verdict was passed in June but has only now been announced.

Krieger is alleged to have participated in sabotage operations at the Russian-Belarusian-Ukrainian border, specifically the bombing of a Belarusian train transporting fuel from Belarus’ Mazyr oil refinery to Russia on May 1, 2023, in the Bryansk region. The incident led to tighter border controls and increased inspections at the Belarus-European border, as well as heightened security on the railways.

But according to "SB. Belarus today" newspaper , the German national was recruited by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) on September 20, 2023, in order to carry out terror attacks against Belarusian National Security.
On October 2, 2023, Krieger entered Belarus as a tourist, in possession of a drone and mobile phones. He received a mission to carry out reconnaissance and photographing of targets in Osipovichi (Mogilev region). Then, he received coordinates and a photo of a cache containing an improvised explosive device and instructions on how to plant it on a railroad. He reportedly planted the device, which contained about 3 kg of octogen - a highly explosive substance - near the Ozerischa railway station. The explosion occurred on the day of planting, October 5, at 23:22, before a passenger train was supposed to arrive at the station.
According to the newspaper, Krieger was apprehended on October 6, when he planned to depart from Minsk to Baku.

According to open sources, Rico Krieger worked as a car mechanic for some time, was a security guard at the US Embassy in Berlin, took care of the elderly, and then retrained as a nurse and was even promoted to paramedic, being, according to some information, an employee of the German Red Cross. The German Red Cross confirmed that Rico Krieger worked in one of the regional associations of the organization, but emphasized that his trip abroad was not related to the activities of the Red Cross.

Trading chip

Russia appears to be using Belarus, a country where the death penalty is still practised, to add yet another card to its deck of prisoners and increase its leverage over the West in any talks of a prisoner exchange.

"Taking into account the request of the German Foreign Ministry, the Belarusian side has proposed specific solutions for the available options for the development of the situation. Consultations on this topic are being conducted through the foreign ministries of the two countries," the German Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The Kremlin is pushing Lukashenko to put pressure on Berlin to hand over Krasikov while retaining Gershkovich as leverage over Washington.

Belarus has already carried out swaps of its own at Moscow's directive. Minsk recently handed over to Kyiv Nikolai Shvets, who was accused of blowing up a Russian A-50 AWACS aircraft, along with several other Ukrainian citizens.

Lukashenko claimed the deal was cut at Russian President Vladimir Putin’s personal request and was part of a deal to transfer Metropolitan Ionafan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate to Russia.

The Krieger case may also be connected to the activation of Russian intelligence operations in EU countries, aiming to create an "exchange fund" for the release of detained agents from Russia and Belarus, Belarus in Focus reports.

This exchange strategy implies direct contacts between Germany and the Belarusian regime, bringing Lukashenko into play in Russia’s behind-the-scenes strategy to rescue its agents caught operating in Europe. Lukashenko is expected to sign Krieger’s pardon request if a deal progresses, a crucial step in such an exchange, but that can only happen after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz initiates a dialogue with Minsk.

In Minsk, such interactions are traditionally viewed as Western recognition of the regime's legitimacy, which was destroyed after the mass protests in the summer of 2020, following the falsified elections that saw Lukashenko returned to office.

The Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed Krieger's death sentence and highlighted ongoing negotiations with Germany regarding his fate. Minsk has proposed various options for resolving the situation, including an exchange, a symbolic recognition of Lukashenko’s regime, and potentially reducing sanctions on Belarus.

However, it is unlikely that Lukashenko will achieve more than the formal presentation of credentials from Germany’s recently appointed ambassador to Belarus.

According to the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty (WCADP) – an alliance of non-governmental organisations – four people were sentenced to death in Belarus in May 2023. The last known instance of a death sentence being carried out was recorded in 2022. No one was executed in 2020 and 2021, taz reports.

Human rights activists estimate that more than 300 death sentences could have been carried out in the republic since 1991. 

 

This report has been updated to include alternative reporting of how Krieger ended up in a Belarusian jail.