Israeli MFA asks Belarusian government not to extradite Alexander Lapshin to Azerbaijan

Baku. 19 December. REPORT.AZ/ Israeli Foreign Ministry tries to prevent extradition of 40-year-old Russian-Israeli blogger, Haifa resident Alexander Lapshin from Belarus to Azerbaijan.

Report informs citing the Israeli media, Israeli MFA officials have asked the Belarusian government not to extradite earlier detained in Minsk, A.Lapshin and allow a meeting with him.

According to Israeli Ynet, Israeli officials asked their Belarusian counterparts to discuss the situation with Israel. In addition, Israeli MFA tries to solve the issue through its embassy to Baku.

Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan stated last week that Alexander Lapshin was included in the blacklist of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2013 due to his illegal visit to Nagorno-Karabakh along with other bloggers. In 2015, he entered the Azerbaijani territory through Georgia with the Ukrainian passport. In April 2011 and October 2012 he entered the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, promoted illegal regime in his own website http // puerrtto.livejournal.com, as well as named the Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent state. He has also called on infringement of territorial integrity of internationally recognized territories of Azerbaijan.

As his name was written as Oleksandr in the passport, he managed to enter the country unhindered. The blogger was declared wanted for breaking the law “On violation of the state border” of Azerbaijan.

Information notes that, criminal case has been launched against him under articles of Azerbaijani Criminal Code 281.2 (Public appeals directed against the state) and in 318.2 (illegal crossing the state border of Azerbaijan Republic) and has been declared wanted.

A.Lapshin was detained as a result of measures by the law enforcement agencies of the Republic of Belarus. Currently, necessary measures are being taken to extradite A.Lapshin to the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Notably, earlier, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan included name of A.Lapshin in the travel black list in regard with his illegal visit to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.