“If Azerbaijan demands in its own way, and someone is extradited, it may have far-reaching consequences,” said media expert Samvel Martirosyan referring to extradition of journalist and blogger Alexander Lapshin.
“Who excludes the possibility that any RA citizen who is unpleasant to Azerbaijan will not appear in Azerbaijan with the same or other charges after visiting Minsk?” noted Samvel Martirosyan.
Lawyer Ara Ghazaryan said that according to some information, charges to form a terroristic group are planned to be brought against the blogger which Samvel Martirosyan described as absurd. “Such practice is Azerbaijani policy. CoE and OSCE member state cannot run such a policy,” added Ara Ghazaryan.
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.
