Armenian MFA: Lapshin’s extradition is gross violation of fundamental human rights
Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a statement condemning the extradition of famous blog writer Alexandr Lapshin to Azerbaijan. “The persecution and his extradition of Alexandr Lapshin to Azerbaijan is a gross violation of fundamental human rights, a restriction of freedom of speech and free movement which once again shows the deep chasm between dictatorship and democracy. That will not stop the flow of political, social and cultural figures, journalists and tourists to Artsakh, rather, it will increase and even multiply visits to Artsakh,” the Ministry said. Belarus extradited blog writer Alexandr Lapshin to Azerbaijan on Tuesday, February 7. Lapshin, 40, was arrested by Belarusian authorities on December 15, 2016 in Minsk, at the request of the Azeri authorities, who demanded his extradition because of his visits to the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) Republic. The journalist visited the Artsakh Republic in April 2011 and in October 2012, and later in his blogs called for international recognition of Artsakh. In its December 16 statement, the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General’s Office said Lapshin illegally visited Azerbaijan’s breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh without asking permission from Azerbaijani officials. On January 20, the Belarusian Prosecutor General’s Office granted the request of the Azerbaijani authorities to extradite Lapshin to Azerbaijan. Russian and Israel were against the decision but all diplomatic efforts were futile.
