Belarusian president pardons German national sentenced to death

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko pardoned a German national on Tuesday who was sentenced to death on multiple charges, including "terrorism."

Belta, the Belarusian state news agency, reported that the press service of the Belarusian presidency said Lukashenko pardoned Rico Krieger, "taking into account all the circumstances."

It noted that Krieger filed a request for a pardon to Lukashenko and he was found guilty under six articles of the criminal code before he was sentenced to death by a court.

The Belarusian presidency previously announced that Lukashenko held a meeting with Ivan Tertel, the head of the security service, Krieger's lawyer and the investigator who oversaw the case.

"In line with our Constitution and laws, the President always has the final say in such matters regardless of whether a convicted person asks for pardon. I have already said that the most difficult thing for the President is to deal with cases related to capital punishment," the statement quoted Lukashenko.

Krieger's lawyer told Belta that he considered the conversation to be "frank," and that they expected an "act of humanism" from Lukashenko.