Death toll from Minsk blast reaches 12

A blast tore through a metro station in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, on the 11 April 2011 killing at least 12 people and injuring many more. Authorities said the incident may have been the work of terrorists.

Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarusian President, said on the 13 April 2011 that the KGB (security policy) would be questioning opposition leaders over the bomb attack. Two suspects had confessed.

The two men convicted of detonating the bomb in the Minsk underground that killed 15 people and injured 200 in April 2011 were sentenced to death at their trial in November 2011.

Human rights activists questioned the speed of the investigation and the impartiality of the court.

EurActiv, 15.4.11: Belarus blast augurs hard times for opposition http://www.euractiv.com/en/enlargement/belarus-blast-augurs-hard-times-opposition-news-504088

BBC News, 13.4.11: Belarus bomb: 'Two confessions' by detained suspects http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13065747

France24, 13.4.11: Fledgling opposition questioned over Minsk bombing http://www.france24.com/en/20110413-lukashenko-points-finger-opposition-over-minsk-bombing-belarus

EUObserver, 14.4.11: Sweden warns Lukashenko against exploiting bomb blast http://euobserver.com/9/32183

ESO: Background information: Belarus: Presidential Election, 19 December 2010 http://www.europeansources.info/record/belarus-presidential-election-19-december-2010/

ESO: Background information: Time to hit Lukashenko where it hurts http://www.europeansources.info/record/time-to-hit-lukashenko-where-it-hurts/

BBC News, 12.4.11: Belarus: Lukashenko says Minsk metro blast was plot http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13044120

Deutsche Welle, 13.4.11: Lukashenko calls for review of politicians' statements http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,14982149,00.html

France24, 12.4.11: Foreign forces may be responsible for deadly metro attack, says president http://www.france24.com/en/20110412-belarus-deadly-terror-attack-metro-terrorist-lukashenko-minsk

Deutsche Welle, 14.9.11: In Belarus, all eyes are on the first-ever terrorism trial http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15387984,00.html

Deutsche Welle, 30.11.11: Minsk metro bombers receive the death sentence http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15569106,00.html

Rzeczpospolita, 12..4.11: Minsk blast is 'gift from abroad' (via PressEurop) http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief-cover/594341-minsk-blast-gift-abroad

BBC News, 12.4.11: Belarus arrests several over Minsk metro bomb blast http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13047140

Polskie Radio, 12.4.11: Poland condemns Minsk ‘terrorist’ attack http://www.thenews.pl/international/artykul153205_poland-condemns-minsk-terrorist-attack.html

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/121492.pdf http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/121492.pdf

BBC News, 15.9.11: Belarus metro-bombing trial opens in Minsk http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14928318

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