German begs for his life on Belarusian TV

The German citizen who is sentenced to death asks his government for help and confesses to crimes on Belarusian TV.

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German begs for his life on Belarusian TV
Photo: Vitaly Pivovarchyk/AP/TT

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The German citizen who has been sentenced to death is asking his government for help and confessing to crimes on Belarusian TV.

Thirty-year-old Rico Krieger, who has been convicted of alleged terrorist crimes in Belarus, is now asking German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for help, reports the Guardian.

In the 17-minute clip, he is in handcuffs in a cell.

Mr Scholz, please, I'm still alive, it's not too late, says Krieger in the clip.

Belarus claims that Krieger traveled to the country last autumn on the orders of the Ukrainian intelligence service with the aim of carrying out a terrorist attack on a railway line. There is no evidence for the alleged crime.

I confess my guilt, without hesitation. Every second I regret what I did, says Krieger, who breaks down in tears several times during the clip.

The dictatorship is known for confessions often being made under duress or torture, and is the only country in Europe with the death penalty. It is carried out with a shot to the back of the head, and bodies are buried in unmarked graves.

On Friday, the German government's spokesperson Christiane Hoffmann said that Scholz was aware of the case.

Just like the entire government, he is worried about these events, especially in connection with the death sentence, she said at a press conference in Berlin.

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By TTEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for local and international readers

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