PACE representatives call not to execute Kanavalau and Kavalyou

Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe call on the Belarusian authorities not to execute Dzmitry Kanavalau (Dmitry Konovalov) and Uladzislau Kavalyou (Vladislav Kovalev).

As BelaPAN news agency learned from the PACE press service, the joint appeal was signed by PACE President Jean-Claude Mignon, rapporteur on Belarus, Andres Herkel, PACE members Marieluise Beck (Germany) and Renate Wohlwend (Liechtenstein).

“We are extremely concerned that, after the announcement that President Lukashenko refused to pardon the two young men, the irreparable act may be committed at any time. In view both of our principled rejection of the death penalty and of the numerous questions regarding the fairness of their trial, we solemnly appeal to the Belarusian authorities to refrain from executing Mr Konovalov and Mr Kovalev,” the appeal reads.

We remind that Kanavalau and Kavalyou were sentenced to death by the Supreme Court of Belarus on November 30, 2011. The court found Kanavalau guilty of malicious hooliganism and particularly malicious hooliganism, deliberate destruction of property, illegal buying, keeping and carrying explosives and explosive devices, terrorism aggravated with killings. Kavalyou was accused of malicious hooliganism and particularly malicious hooliganism, deliberate destruction of property, illegal buying, keeping and carrying explosives and explosive devices, aiding terrorism, failure to inform about preparation of an especially grave crime, committing an especially grave crime, about crime perpetrator and his location.

The terrorist attack on April 11, 2011, killed 15 people. 32 people were seriously injured, 72 received less serious bodily injuries, 283 people had milder injuries. The blast in Minsk on July 4, 2008 injured 59 people. The blasts in Vitsebsk on September 22, 2005 and on September 14 injured 55 and 2 people respectively.

The mother and sister of Kavalyou had a three-hour meeting with him in the KGB jail on March 11. Kavalyou's sister Tatsyana said after the visit she was more surprised not by her brother's exhausted look, but by the attitude of a top officer of from the jail administration. According to the woman, he was too polite unlike the previous visits and answered all questions.

On March 14, Belarus 1 TV channel said Lukashenka refused to pardon Uladzislau Kavalyou and Dzmitry Kanavalau. Kavalyou was reported on March 15 to have been transferred to from the KGB jail. His lawyer learned this news when he came to the KGB jail to see his client. The jail administration refused to say where Kavalyou was moved to.