MFA Spokesperson: Lapshin’s extradition demonstrates the existing gap between dictatorship and democracy
Spokesperson at Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Tigran Balayan has commented on the extradition of Russian-Israeli blogger Alexander Lapshin to Azerbaijan.
According to the foreign ministry website, Balayan has noted that “the persecution of Alexander Lapshin, his extradition to Azerbaijan is a gross violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of speech and movement, which once again demonstrates the existing gap between dictatorship and democracy.”
“It is beyond doubt that the flow of political and public figures, artists, journalists and tourists to Artsakh will not stop but will multiply,” Balayan said.
To note, a special flight with the Russian-Israeli blogger Alexander Lapshin on board landed in the international airport of Baku late on Tuesday, hours after the Supreme Court of Belarus upheld a lower court ruling to extradite him.
Lapshin was detained in Minsk. He was put on an international wanted list at Azerbaijan’s request after visiting the Nagorno Karabakh Republic and criticizing the Azerbaijani leadership.
Azerbaijani prosecutors launched a criminal case into "repeated public anti-state calls" and "illegal crossing of Azerbaijan’s state border," punishable with a prison term of five to eight years.