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Russia is disappointed by the decision of the Supreme Court of Belarus to extradite blogger Alexander Lapshin to Azerbaijan, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday, according to TASS agency.
"The Russian side expresses its deep disappointment with this decision, which runs counter to the spirit of allied relations between Russia and Belarus," the ministry stressed, as quoted by the source, adding "We are determined to take all necessary steps in the future to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the Russian national with a view to securing his speedy return to his family."

"According to available information, on February 7, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Belarus examined the case at a closed-door session and did not satisfy the complaint of Russian and Israeli citizen, Alexander Lapshin, in response to a decision by the Belarusian Prosecutor General’s Office on his extradition to Azerbaijan," the Russian Foreign Ministry reported.

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.