Germany, Russia Expel Diplomats... "Russian Government Behind Chechen Killings"

"Serious Violation of German Law and Sovereignty"
Russia Denounces "Politically Motivated Decision"

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The German government announced that it will expel two Russian diplomats following a court ruling that the Russian government was behind the murder of a Chechen-Georgian man in Germany in 2019. The German government stated that this action was taken based on the judgment that the incident represented Russia's disregard for Germany's sovereignty, escalating diplomatic tensions between the two countries. Relations between Russia and the European Union (EU), already strained over the Ukraine issue, are expected to deteriorate further.

On the 15th (local time), German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said in a statement, "Following the court ruling that the Russian government was behind the murder of Chechen-Georgian Zelimkhan Khangoshvili in Berlin two years ago, we will expel two Russian diplomats," adding, "State-ordered murder is a serious violation of German law and German sovereignty."

Earlier, the Berlin District Court sentenced Russian Vadim Krasikov to life imprisonment on August 23, 2019, for the murder of Khangoshvili near the Kleiner Tiergarten Park in Berlin, and ruled that the Russian government had ordered the incident. Judge Olaf Arnoldi, who delivered the verdict, stated, "The central government of the Russian Federation is the main perpetrator of this crime," and "The Russian government provided Krasikov with fake identification, forged passports, and the resources necessary for the murder."

The German court pointed out that considering Khangoshvili's history of fighting against Russian forces in the Chechen Republic, it is highly likely that the Russian government carried out a planned retaliation. Khangoshvili had a record of attacking a police station within Russian territory in 2004 with fellow fighters, killing Russian police officers and civilians. Judge Arnoldi noted, "It is highly probable that Russia planned revenge for Khangoshvili's actions."

Russia immediately reacted with strong opposition. Sergey Nechayev, the Russian ambassador to Berlin, issued a statement shortly after the verdict, saying, "This ruling will seriously worsen the already complex relations between Russia and Germany," and added, "I believe this decision is neither objective nor free from political motives."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.