Bio

Dzmitry Kanavalau worked at a tractor factory in Vitebsk. He was a friend of Uladzislau Kavalyou.

On 10 April 2011 Kanavalau came to Minsk to meet a girl he had met online. He rented an apartment in Minsk from 10 to 13 April 2011. Kavalyou shared that apartment with him during those three days.

Murder Story

Dzmitry Kanavalau was arrested on 13 April 2011 in connection with the 2011 Minsk Metro bombing. He and another suspect, Uladzislau Kavalyou, confessed according to official reports. The motives given for the act remained unclear.

The trial began in September 2011. In November 2011, Kanavalau and Kavalyou were found guilty.

Both men were executed by shooting in early March 2012. The exact time and place of the executions were kept secret. On 15 March 2012 the European Parliament passed a resolution condemning Belarus for using the death penalty. Kavalyou’s mother was informed of her son’s execution on 17 March 2012.

Belarusian officials said the investigation linked the case to earlier attacks. Interpol cooperation reportedly matched fingerprints from the investigation to prints from a 2008 incident. Psychiatrists who interviewed one prime suspect said he claimed to "enjoy the suffering of others" and that he was sane.

The trial and verdicts drew international criticism and political concern. The European Union and others questioned the conduct of the investigation and the legal process. The United Nations Security Council called the event an "apparent terrorist attack" in its statement. Some analysts and opponents raised doubts about the official account and suggested other possibilities.

President Alexander Lukashenko publicly called for a thorough investigation. He praised the security services’ work and said the suspects had admitted guilt. Belarusian authorities reported taking further security measures after the case.