Rico Krieger

Activities leading to detention According to Belarusian authorities and confessions he later made, Krieger received orders from the SBU no later than 20 September 2023 to carry out the mission. Under orders from the SBU, Krieger first traveled to the Mogilev Region, and then to the railway station in Asipovichy to take reconnaissance photos and record the coordinates of military objects. with the railway station serving as a crucial hub for transporting military equipment around the capital Minsk. These tasks were reportedly completed, and the data collected was sent to the SBU over the internet. Of the charges, Krieger only pleaded guilty to "agent activity", but refused to testify. The judge for the trial was Aleh Lapeka of the Regional Court, the state prosecutor was supported by Tatsiana Hrakun of Prosecutor General's Office, and Krieger's lawyer was Vladimir Gorbach Once the verdict was released, human rights groups including the Viasna Human Rights Centre and International Federation for Human Rights immediately sought ways to lessen Krieger's sentencing, citing prior precedent of the death penalty in Belarus which had been reserved only for acts resulted in murder, something Krieger had not committed. Exiled Belarusian activist Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya also condemned the use of the death penalty against Krieger. Russian President Vladimir Putin had suggested a prisoner swap could be initiated to free Krieger in exchange for Vadim Krasikov, Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) officer and hitman imprisoned by Germany. substituting his death penalty with a life sentence. The announcement of Krieger's pardon was broadcast on the state-run All-National TV (ONT TV), in which Krieger in tears thanked Lukashenko for his decision. Chancellor Olaf Scholz's spokesperson, Steffen Hebestreit, said the exchange of Krasikov for Krieger had been arranged in "cooperation with the United States and European partners" and was "not taken lightly" by the German government. This goal was partially satisfied later the same month, when on 16 August Lukashenko pardoned thirty of these political prisoners convicted of "protest-related crimes" in a decree published on 4 September.

Investigation back in Germany On the day of Krieger's release, his spouse's apartment in Germany was searched for potential evidence. On 28 August 2024, the German Public Prosecutor General began an investigation against Krieger for allegedly causing the explosion in Belarus, a crime punishable under Section 308 of the Criminal Code of Germany "Strafgesetzbuch". Additionally, the investigation sought to determine the reason for Krieger's travel to Belarus in the first place. Krieger maintained his innocence by asserting he was unaware of the contents of the backpack, and had no knowledge it would cause an explosion.