Political scientist Stepan Grigoryan opines that the RA authorities should have also responded to the issue of extradition of blogger and journalist Alexander Lapshin to Azerbaijan by Belarus.
“They should have raised the issue at the EaEU and CSTO where they have a partnership relationship with Belarus. Legally, this is perhaps not our business but it is a political persecution,” said Stepan Grigoryan at the press conference.
“Azerbaijan is doing everything to isolate Armenia and Karabakh,” noted the political scientist meaning that Azerbaijan wants to stop people visiting Artsakh by Lapshin’s example, “We must show that we are here on this issue. This will have serious consequences for the solution of the Karabakh issue.” According to the political scientist, Armenia must tell Belarus, “What message are you sending to us?”
The law enforcement authorities in Belarus have made a decision to extradite the blogger jailed after a recent visit to Nagorno-Karabakh. A deputy prosecutor general has met the request by the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General’s office, agreeing to embark on the necessary procedures to hand over Alexander Lapshin to Baku. Azerbaijan earlier blacklisted Lapshin, a citizen of Israel and Russia, for visiting the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. The blogger then conducted a second trip to Baku, using a Ukrainian passport as a travel document.
