The message stating that Uladzislau Kavaliou’s (left) death sentence had been carried out was delivered to Kavaliou’s home address in Vitsebsk. Liubou Kavaliova, the mother of the convict, found the letter in the mailbox.

 “My mum just got it from the mailbox.The Supreme Court …a letter dated 16 March … that the sentence was carried out … My mother got it. They killed him, it was all in vain, all in vain”, were the only words that Uladzislau Kavaliou’s sister Tatsiana was able to utter choking with tears.

Dzmitry Kanavalau, the other convict charged with terrorism in this criminal case and sentenced to death, refused to file a petition for clemency. His relatives do not communicate with the press, the family and the apartment is under guard but it was reported that Kanavalau’s sentence was carried out as well.

Since 14 March, the day when Belarusian state TV channel reported that the president had denied clemency, Stanislau Abrazei, Uladzislau Kavaliou’s lawyer, was not able to see his client. The lawyer was informed that Kavaliou was neither in the KGB detention facility, where his mother and sister had visited him on 11 March, nor in Valadarskaya jail.

Following the reports that Kanavalau and Kavaliou were denied clemency, several Belarusian electronic media published assumptions that human rights defenders were the ones to blame for it, for they dragged Kavaliou’s mother into a political game, sent her to speak from the rostrums of influential European institutions, thus irritating the authorities.

Uladzislau Kavaliou’s mother does not believe that her active position and actions of human rights defenders influenced President Lukashenka’s decision to deny clemency to death convicts Kanavalau and Kavaliou.

“First of all, I was invited by the Council of Europe. …You know, I’ve thought about it. Just the day before yesterday, I watched the first video of Uladzislau’s interrogation once again. They already accused Uladzislau of terrorism back then, right away. Dzmitry [Kanavalau] kept silent. They intimidated Uladzislau by capital punishment. They counted on the fact that Uladzislau would be scared and would say nothing. I believe that it doesn’t matter whether you keep silent or not, the end of the case would be the same. The only difference is that the investigative authorities confirmed: yes, they are guilty. However, when the truth came out in the courtroom and people began to doubt it [their being guilty] – the trial went not according to the plan. I think it was just a revenge”, Liubou Kavaliova (right) said.

On March 15 lawyer Stanislau Abrazei filed a supervisory appeal to the Supreme Court. Liubou Kavaliova filed another petition addressed to President Lukashenka where she asked to postpone the execution until the appeal of her son were considered by the United Nations.

“I asked him to give an order to the appropriate organization responsible for the execution of sentences. I wrote this: “Please give my son an opportunity to await the outcome of consideration of the appeal in the United Nations. Please postpone the execution for at least one year”. I sent the appeal by registered letter and fax”, Liubou Kavaliova said.

Politicians, human rights defenders and public figures from around the world condemn the death penalty
Chairman of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz (left) appealed to Aliaksandr Lukashenka not to execute Uladzislau Kavaliou and Dzmitry Kanavalau.

“I was deeply saddened to learn that President Lukashenka has refused to pardon Uladzislau Kavaliou and Dzmitry Kanavalau, who have been sentenced to death for a bomb attack at the Minsk underground. Their conviction came despite strong doubts about their role in this tragic event. According to human rights organisations, their trial did not meet with international standards. I call on President Lukashenka to reconsider his decision. The death penalty is irrevocable, inhumane and degrading. The European Parliament opposes it in all cases”, said Schultz in the appeal.

European politicians and public figures have spread the appeal calling upon the Belarusian authorities to stop the death penalty in the country.

“Uladzislau Kavaliou and Dzmitry Kanavalau are being held responsible for a brutal bomb attack on a metro station in Minsk on 11 April 2011 in which 15 people died and hundreds were injured. The principles of the rule of law were trampled underfoot in the course of their trial: Witnesses for the defence were silenced or not admitted. Evidence was blatantly manipulated. One of the victims of the attack stated in no uncertain terms that he had not seen the two young men at the scene of the crime, despite claims to the contrary by the public prosecutor. It is obvious that the convicted men’s confessions were obtained by torture”, the statement says.

The authors of the appeal emphasize that “Uladzislau Kavaliou found the courage to give an account, during the trial, of the torture to which he had been subjected and to revoke the confession extorted from him. Despite all these contradictions, it is to be feared that the two young men will be sacrificed merely so that the regime can retain its hold on power. It appears that by imposing these death sentences the authoritarian regime is seeking to prove that it is in a position to quickly establish the truth and security.

We strongly urge the Government of Belarus to declare an immediate moratorium on the death penalty. It would be the last country in Europe to do so. In the long term, this inhumane and irrevocable form of punishment must be abolished entirely. Uladzislau Kavaliou and Dzmitry Kanavalau must not be executed. A retrial must be conducted”.

A petition was signed by dozens of prominent politicians and public figures.

***

On 30 November, 2011 the Supreme Court of the Republic of Belarus has passed a death sentence in the case of Dzmitry Kanavalau and Uladzislau Kavaliou, who were accused of committing a series of bombings, including the one during the celebration of Independence Day in 2008, and the terrorist attack in Minsk Metro on 11 April, 2011. As a result of the terrorist attack in metro, 15 people were killed and hundreds were injured. The public prosecutor in his speech demanded capital punishment to the both accused. On 7 December, Uladzislau Kavaliou has filed a petition for clemency in the name of President Lukashenka. According to Aliakandr Kaniuk, Prosecutor General of Belarus, Dzmitry Kanavalau, the second convict, refused to file a petition for clemency.

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