Disturbing verdicts in Belarus and Russia

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Lerato Khumalo

The situation at a glance

Disturbing verdicts in Belarus and Russia

Updated on 20.07.2024 – 05:00Reading time: 4 min.

Enlarge the imageThere is sharp criticism of Russia in the West after US reporter Evan Gershkovich was sentenced to 16 years in prison. (Source: Dmitri Lovetsky/AP/dpa/dpa-bilder)
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Two court rulings from Belarus and Russia have alarmed the West: There is criticism after Moscow locked up a US journalist as an alleged spy and Minsk wants to shoot a German.

Western politicians have reacted with sharp criticism to the harsh sentence against US reporter Evan Gershkovich. The Wall Street Journal correspondent, who was sentenced to 16 years in prison for alleged espionage, has not committed a crime, said US President Joe Biden. Rather, he has become a target of the Russian government “because he is a journalist and an American,” Biden said in a written statement. The US government continues to fight for the release of the 32-year-old.

There is no doubt that Russia is wrongfully detaining Gershkovich. The US continues to support press freedom in Russia and around the world and opposes all those who try to attack the press or target journalists. “Journalism is not a crime,” Biden stressed.

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock spoke of a “politically motivated judgment”. In a statement on Platform X, the Green Party politician accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of being afraid of the power of facts. She continued: “The truth cannot be locked away.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed similar views. The verdict was despicable and underlined Russia’s disdain for press freedom. “Journalism should not be a matter of calculation,” Starmer wrote on X.

Meanwhile, in the former Soviet republic of Belarus, a German citizen has been sentenced to death, according to human rights activists. The former rescue worker of the German Red Cross is accused of mercenary activity, espionage, terrorism, the creation of an extremist organization, destruction of a transport facility and illegal handling of weapons, explosives and ammunition, reported the Belarusian human rights organization Vjasna, among others.

He was sentenced to be shot because of his alleged involvement in a bomb attack. The verdict was passed about a month ago, but was only made known now. The authorities in Minsk have not officially announced the verdict.

The Foreign Ministry in Berlin informed the German Press Agency (dpa) that the case was known. “The Foreign Office and the embassy in Minsk are providing consular support to the person concerned and are working intensively on his behalf with the Belarusian authorities,” it said in a statement. Berlin fundamentally rejects the death penalty as cruel and inhumane.

Selenskyj congratulates Trump on his presidential candidacy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated Donald Trump by phone on his nomination as the Republican Party’s candidate in the upcoming presidential election in the USA. He also condemned the “shocking assassination attempt in Pennsylvania” on Trump and wished him strength, Zelensky wrote on the X platform.

During the phone call, Zelensky’s main concern was probably to ensure that Kyiv would continue to receive US help in the fight against the Russian invasion – even after a possible election victory for Trump. During the conversation, he emphasized the bipartisan support of the US for protecting Ukraine, wrote Zelensky.

During the election campaign, Trump had repeatedly criticized the US arms aid to Ukraine. Now, on X, he also expressed at least praise for the “very good phone call” with Zelenskyj. As the next US president, he would bring peace to the world and end the war, Trump announced once again. He did not give any details about a possible agreement.

There is a fear in Kyiv that Trump, as US President, could force Ukraine to make major concessions – including further territorial concessions – in negotiations to reach a compromise with Russia.

In view of the energy crisis in Ukraine caused by Russian attacks, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, has warned of a harsh winter and appealed for further aid. “Energy, energy, energy. I have never seen such unanimity anywhere,” Grandi told dpa, describing his impression of talks with Ukrainian officials.

Those responsible are very worried. And ordinary people, especially in the eastern Ukrainian metropolis of Kharkiv, are already afraid of being left without heating in the winter. At the same time, the UN representative urged the international community: “Maintain your support.”

At least three people, including a child, were killed in a Russian missile strike on a residential area in the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv. “A strike on a children’s playground near an ordinary house,” wrote Zelensky on Telegram. According to the regional administration, 15 other people were injured. Four more children are among the injured.