Russia Calls On Belarus To Join Death-Penalty Moratorium

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has called on Belarus to join the rest of Europe and impose a moratorium on the death penalty.

Lavrov's comments came just days after the Belarusian government executed two men who were convicted for the bombing of a Minsk subway station nearly one year ago that killed 15 people.

Belarus has faced international criticism over the weekend about the executions, amid questions about evidence in the case and concerns about the legal rights of the men who were executed -- Uladzislau Kavalyou and Dzmitry Kanavalau.

Lavrov told Kommersant FM radio that the Russian government is committed to a death-penalty moratorium and wants to see all European countries, including Belarus, join it.

Belarus is the only country in Europe that still practices capital punishment.

With RIA Novosti and ITAR-TASS reports