The early release of the convicted Russian murderer Vadim Krasikov in Germany as part of a large-scale prisoner exchange deal has disappointed the relatives of the victim, who described his release as “devastating news.”
Speaking through their lawyer Inga Schulz in Berlin, the relatives told dpa: “On the one hand, we are glad that someone’s life was saved.
“At the same time, we are very disappointed that there seems to be no law in the world, even in countries where the law is the highest authority.”
Krasikov was released on Thursday as part of a large-scale prisoner exchange between Russia, Belarus and several Western countries.
In return for the transfer of Krasikov and another nine individuals previously detained in the US, Norway, Poland and Slovenia, 16 Western citizens and Russian opposition figures were freed.
He was serving a life sentence for killing an exiled ethnic Chechen born in Georgia in broad daylight in a central Berlin park in 2019 – on the orders of Russian state authorities.
The Berlin Court of Appeal sentenced the man to life imprisonment for murder in 2021. The court determined that the crime was particularly serious, making early release unlikely after 15 years.
The relatives of the victim had participated in the trial as joint plaintiffs.
The victim had sought protection in Germany. He had led a militia in the fight against Russia during the second Chechen war. Russian authorities had labelled him a Chechen terrorist, holding him responsible for numerous deaths among Russian security forces.
