Belarus bomber who allegedly killed 15 executed according to mother

One of two men who allegedly carried out a subway bombing attack in Belarus that killed 15 people and wounded hundreds more has been executed, his mother said today.

Lubov Kovaleva said she had received official notification about the execution of her son, Vladislav Kovalev.

Kovalev and Dmitry Konovalov, both 26 years old, were convicted in November of planting a bomb at the busiest subway station in Belarus' capital, Minsk, last April. Investigators said the men were driven by "hatred for humankind," not political or religious motives.

The Supreme Court found that Konovalov made the bomb and stayed with Kovalev in his Minsk apartment just before the blast. Investigators said Kovalev was aware of the blast plans.

But Kovalev pleaded not guilty and said he did not participate in the bombing. The men's defense attorneys said the evidence presented in court was trivial and inconclusive.

AP