Minsk (ANTARA News/Xinhua-OANA) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has refused to pardon two men sentenced to death for a deadly bomb attack 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," Belarus state television reported on Wednesday evening.

State television said the men could be executed anytime.

Dmitry Konovalov and Vladislav Kovalyov were found guilty of carrying out the bombing, which killed 15 people and injured more than 200 others.

The court found that Konovalov had built the explosive device, brought it to the subway station, and detonated it, while Kovalyov knew about the plan and failed to report it.

Human rights activists urged Belarus not to apply the death penalty in the case.

Belarus is the only European country with the death penalty still on its books.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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