Aram Sargsyan: Embassy is located in a territory belonging to businessman Gagik Tsarukyan (video)
The handover of blogger Alexandr Lapshin to Azerbaijan was a slap in the face of [Foreign Minister] Edward Nalbandian and Serzh Sargsyan, but we do not want it to be addressed to the Armenian people, Armenian lawmaker Nikol Pashinyan said outside the Belarusian Embassy in Yerevan during a protest against Alexander Lapshin’s extradition to Azerbaijan. The MP tried to enter the Embassy, but was not allowed to. In his speech, Mr Pashinyan said they do not even want to address a letter to the Ambassador, they demand to close the Embassy and recall Armenian Ambassador to Belarus. Members of the opposition alliance Yelk and their supporters Aram Sargsyan, Sasun Mikaelyan and Edmon Marukyan participated in the protest. Chairman of the Hanrapetutyun (Republic) Party Aram Sargsyan added in turn that the fact that the Embassy is located in a territory belonging to businessman Gagik Tsarukyan speaks to an accented attitude. Alexandr Lapshin was arrested in Minsk, Belarus in December 2016, upon the demand of the Azerbaijani authorities who blamed him for a blog story addressing the human rights situation in the country. He was extradited to Azerbaijan on February 7. If convicted, the journalist may face 5-8 years in prison.
