MINSK — A Belarussian state prosecutor asked a court Monday to sentence to death two men charged with organizing a deadly bomb blast at a metro station in Minsk.
Dmitry Konovalov and Vladislav Kovalyov are on trial on charges of planning the explosion, which killed 15 people and injured dozens more on April 11.
Justice officials in Belarus have also linked the two men to other blasts, including one on Independence Day in 2008 and several explosions in the town of Vitebsk in 2005.
Konovalov and Kovalyov stood in a steel cage inside the courtroom, which was packed with police and security guards, as state prosecutor Alexei Stuk addressed the court on Monday.
"I am asking for capital punishment," he told the court, which is expected to deliver its verdict in the coming days.
Belarus is the only nation in Europe that practices capital punishment.
The bomb attack, on a packed platform at evening rush hour, took place against a background of political tension and a currency crisis in the republic of 10 million people.
Authorities now say they do not see any political overtones to the attack. But President Alexander Lukashenko, the country's autocratic leader who has ruled since 1994, said at the time that he saw it as an attempt to destabilize the country.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
