Moscow disappointed by Belarus' extradition of Rus. blogger Minsk extradited Lapshin to Baku for visiting Nagorno-Karabakh

(ANSA) - TRIESTE, 8 FEB - Moscow 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 news agency. Belarus extradited Lapshin to Baku on Tuesday. There he will face charges related to his travel blogs about Nagorno-Karabakh. Lapshin - who according to asbarez.com is Russian and Israeli citizen - was detained on December 15 by Belarusian authorities by Baku's request for visiting Nagorno-Karabakh in 2011, 2012, and 2016. Azeri prosecutors accuse him of entering the territory illegally and as a result he was banned from visiting Azerbaijan, Bbc reports. Lapshin would have called for Karabakh's indipendence in his writings, according to Azeri authorities. This is illegal under Azeri law, but also impossible to verify because many blog posts were deleted after Lapshin arrest. "The Russian side expresses its deep disappointment with this decision, which runs counter to the spirit of allied relations between Russia and Belarus," the Russian Foreign Ministry declared. "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". (ANSA).





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