 |
Dmitry Konovalov
and Vladislav Kovalyov |
MINSK, March 15 (Bernama) -- Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has refused to pardon two men sentenced to death for a deadly bomb attack that killed 15 and injured more than 200 others at a metro station in Minsk last April.
This decision was reasoned by the "sole risk and severity of the consequences to society of the committed crimes," Xinhua news agency quoted a news report shown on Belarus state television yesterday evening.
State television said the men -- Dmitry Konovalov and Vladislav Kovalyov -- could be executed anytime.
The court found Konovalov had built the explosive device and brought it to the subway station before detonating it. Kovalyov was aware of Konovalov's plan but failed to report it.
Human rights activists had urged Belarus not to impose the death penalty in the case.
Belarus is the only European country with the death penalty still on its books.
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