Lawyer Ara Ghazaryan considers the criminal prosecution against blogger Alexander Lapshin to be a failure. According to Mr. Ghazaryan, the news about Lapshin’s suicide attempt was another signal that everything was not as good as was represented by the Azerbaijani authorities. “In reality there were serious problems, therefore a very hasty decision was made to expel him from the country”.
According to the speaker, the international structures, in the case of the blogger, were initially delayed because the criminal case was not based on free speech, but on another artificial basis – on the basis of entering country illegally. “It was still necessary to be convinced that in reality a free word is on the basis, but perhaps the political factors or the lobbying opportunities of Azerbaijan were the reason why the reaction was very weak. But now, when he has been released and has decided to speak, if he continues to provide information in this way so that we can be sure that what he says really honestly expresses his purpose, he must appeal to the international court and file a complaint.
Lapshin has not said so far what we do not know, he said what we do know. Only in case of applying to the court, we will be convinced that he considers himself to be convicted illegally. If he does not go to court, it will not be clear why he says he has been convicted illegally”.
Arpine SIMONYAN
