{"id":99267,"date":"2024-08-06T13:55:35","date_gmt":"2024-08-06T10:55:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/99267\/"},"modified":"2024-08-06T13:55:36","modified_gmt":"2024-08-06T10:55:36","slug":"big-swap-krieger-out-belarus-political-prisoners-still-in","status":"publish","type":"longreads","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/99267\/","title":{"rendered":"Big swap: Krieger out, Belarus political prisoners still in"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In a major prisoner exchange between Russia and the West last week, Rico Krieger, a German sentenced to death in Belarus, was handed over to his home country. Although Belarusian political prisoners were not included, the deal proves that various combinations are possible.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n \"\"\n
\n
\n\n Rico Krieger during the exchange procedure\n <\/div>\n \n
\n (Screenshot of FSB video footage)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Putin, \u0141uka\u0161enka discuss exchange<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On July 31, Belarusian state television networks showed Krieger thanking \u0141uka\u0161enka for mercy. The prisoner\u2019s tears might be genuine, but did the leader of Belarus truly display the qualities of a great humanist? No. \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s pardon was just a phony and cheap publicity stunt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting his spies and killers out of prison in the West is really important to Vladimir Putin, a former KGB intelligence officer. In particular, the exchange involved Vadim Krasikov, a Russian with links to the Federal Security Service (FSB) convicted in Germany of a political murder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Putin must have discussed details of the exchange with \u0141uka\u0161enka at Russia\u2019s Valaam Island days before the August 1 swap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka pardoned Krieger on his return to Minsk. State media reported that he discussed the move with officials and propaganda staff, but it was actually Putin who made the decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BelPol says Krieger fell into a trap<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Krieger was a victim of Belarusian security agencies\u2019 deceptive operation, said BelPol, an association of former law enforcers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He has not committed any act of terror; the criminal case against him was completely fabricated; and his arrest was nothing but hostage taking by the \u201ccriminal Minsk regime,\u201d BelPol said, citing its investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It said that Krieger might have wanted to join the Ukrainian Armed Forces but sent his message to a fake chat set up by Belarusian law enforcers who deceived him into coming to Belarus for a test assignment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BelPol said that the Belarusian law enforcers fully controlled him upon arrival. Belarus 1<\/em>, a state-controlled propaganda television network, claimed that Krieger was in contact with officers of the Security Service of Ukraine. BelPol doubts that this is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the final stage of the deceptive operation, the law enforcers told him to take a bag with explosives to a railroad station outside Minsk. The law enforcers detonated it, causing minor damage to tracks, which was fixed within two hours, BelPol said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Investigators charged Krieger with an act of terror, which he did not carry out, BelPol stressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If these conclusions are true, Krieger\u2019s story is actually an act of state terrorism involving hostage taking. The crime was probably more outrageous than the hijacking of a Ryanair plane by Minsk in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minsk\u2019s overtures to Berlin<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Minsk seemed to approach Berlin as it considered various bargaining options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities kept the German\u2019s arrest secret for quite a while. State media did not cover the trial, which was unusual because propaganda used to report captures of suspected Ukrainian saboteurs right away even before the suspects were convicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Krieger, Minsk saw the potential for a great bargain. However, the Kremlin simply took the precious hostage away from \u0141uka\u0161enka to exchange him for Krasikov.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarusian political prisoners left out<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What is the bottom line of this story?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, the \u0141uka\u0161enka regime\u2019s reputation is in tatters. The incident has nullified the propaganda effect of July\u2019s visa-free program expansion for residents of 35 European countries. Fewer enthusiasts will be eager to visit Belarus now given that a foreigner can be sentenced to death there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before Krieger\u2019s death sentence, many Europeans might be even unaware that Belarus was the only country in Europe to apply capital punishment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, the prisoner exchange showed once again that \u0141uka\u0161enka is under Moscow\u2019s thumb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minsk may receive some benefits in addition to the gratitude expressed by the Kremlin. For instance, Moscow may agree to supply oil without advance payments. That was something the Belarusian ruler discussed with Putin at Valaam. Russia can also make sooner its decision on a new import-substitution loan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyway, it is clear that \u0141uka\u0161enka has little room to maneuver and pursue an independent foreign policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Third, the West, Germany in particular, has a very low opinion of \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s political agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some Western politicians consider Belarus as a Russian province because they do not see a way to pull the country out of Russia\u2019s grip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

European officials still claim to support Belarusians\u2019 European aspirations, but in practice many are resigned to Russia\u2019s dominance over its neighbor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fourth, it seems that the release of Belarusian political prisoners is not a high priority for the EU and the United States. Every state stands up for its citizens in the first place. The Belarusian opposition does not have anything or anyone to exchange, so it was sidelined and excluded from the negotiations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opposition leader Sviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja is still being welcomed in Western capitals, and Western politicians are concerned about Belarusian political prisoners. But Berlin and Washington did not take them into consideration as part of that swap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, different combinations are possible. Although \u0141uka\u0161enka does not negotiate with his political opponents, he seems willing to negotiate with the West.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minsk may already be trying to play a game with the West as suggested by the recent release of political prisoners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, one should not be expecting miracles. It is clear that political prisoners are a major issue rooted in the strength of the regime, its desire to retaliate or intimidate critics during the election cycle and its reluctance to demonstrate weaknesses.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In a major prisoner exchange between Russia and the West last week, Rico Krieger, a German sentenced to death in Belarus, was handed over to his home country. Although Belarusian political prisoners were not included, the deal proves that various combinations are possible. Putin, \u0141uka\u0161enka discuss exchange On July 31, Belarusian state television networks showed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":98641,"template":"","rubric":[22],"class_list":["post-99267","longreads","type-longreads","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","rubric-theviewer"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBig swap: Krieger out, Belarus political prisoners still in | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In a major prisoner exchange between Russia and the West last week, Rico Krieger, a German sentenced to death in Belarus, was handed over to his home\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/99267\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Big swap: Krieger out, Belarus political 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