The release of Vadim Krasikov, the Russian secret service agent sentenced in Berlin to life in prison for the murder in Germany of an opponent of Vladimir Putin’s regime, was the centerpiece of the prisoner exchange between Moscow and various Western countries. Berlin eventually gave in to American pressure, but the decision, which was generally supported in Germany, provoked feelings of resentment and criticism.
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With our correspondent in Berlin, Pascal Thibaut
” Sometimes for humanitarian reasons it is necessary to make a pact with the devil. “The chairman of the Bundestag’s foreign affairs committee, Social Democrat Michael Roth, sums up the general feeling in Germany. A deal with the devil “, is also the title of the front page commentary of the conservative daily Frankfurter Allgemeine this morning which reminds the Faust by Goethe.
In the majority, as among the Christian Democrats, the release of the killer Vadim Krasikov is approved in order to allow the release of prisoners in Russia. But the word ” bitter ” comes up in many comments. In the mouth of the Minister of Justice who ignored the opinion of the federal prosecutor’s office opposed to the release of Krasikov.
” A bitter taste “, Amnesty International wrote in a statement. The human rights organization fears that the concessions made to Moscow constitute ” a step towards the extension of judicial impunity in Russia “.
The lawyer for the relatives of Krasikov’s victim spoke, ” of a catastrophic decision “Several politicians fear that such an exchange would encourage Russia to take other Westerners hostage.
Read alsoRussia/Western prisoner exchange: Vadim Krasikov’s release, “difficult arbitration” for Germany