English

Mother of subway bombing suspect set to fight against death sentence for her son

The mother of Uladzislaw Kavalyow said Monday that she was set to continue her fight against the sentencing of her son and his friend Dzmitry Kanavalaw to death over this past April’s subway bombing in Minsk, BelaPAN said.

At a news conference in Minsk, Lyudmila Kavalow apologized to the victims of the bombing for what they had had to survive. But neither Uladzislaw Kavalyow nor Dzmitry Kanavalaw is guilty of this “horrible crime,” she stressed.

“During the so-called investigation and trial, confessions made by Dzmitry in the first few days of the investigation in the absence of lawyers were used to form the basis [of the prosecution case],” said Ms. Kavalyow. “But we know well how they can force confessions. Dzmitry was severely beaten, which both Uladzislaw and the girl who was with them, Yana Pachytskaya, later stated.”

The woman said that she is ready to sacrifice herself if "someone really does not understand what is going on around and wants more innocent blood in addition to those 15 victims." “Let them execute me,” she said.

Mr. Kavalyow’s sister, Tatsyana, said: “I know for sure that the guys did not do that. I am also sure of Dzmitry. As for statements made by his friends, I think that they were forced to make them. He loves his mother very much. Perhaps, he keeps silent, because his family is under threat. His father and brother were held in the KGB’s detention center as well. The father’s hair turned grey while he was there.”