Lukashenko: Belarus has no reasons to not extradite blog writer  Lapshin to Azerbaijan 

ArmInfo.Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko instructed to study the case of blog writer Alexander Lapshin's extradition to Azerbaijan, he stated about 

this at the meeting with representatives of Belarusian and foreign 

mass media, BELTA informs. 

The Belarusian President said that when the information related to 

the blog writer appeared in mass media he instructed the foreign 

ministry to contact relevant agencies in Azerbaijan, Israel and 

Russia. "I instructed the Minister to talk to his counterparts and 

solve the issue appropriately so that the person would not become a 

hostage. There were such solutions and if Israel, Azerbaijan and 

Russia agreed we would welcome their decision. However, they were 

reluctant to reach agreement" the President noted. 

At the same time Lukashenko stressed that Belarus has no reasons to 

not extradite him to Azerbaijan.  "Azerbaijan has applied not to 

Belarus but to Interpol. He was detained based on Interpol's 

decision. And according to the laws and procedures we must send him 

to Azerbaijan. Of course, we can set him free, but this would be 

wrong. You say that appealing is underway but I am sure that the 

court will support our decision as it is legal", the President of 

Belarus summarized. 

To remind, in the middle of December the citizen of the Russian 

Federation Alexander Lapshin has been arrested in the Republic of 

Belarus with the purpose of extradition on the demand of Azerbaijan 

for visiting Nagorno-Karabakh and making notes about those 

visitations in his blog. Lapshin is included in Azerbaijan's black 

list for visiting Karabakh and he was forbidden to enter Azerbaijan.  

However, in June 2015 Lapshin arrived in Azerbaijan via Georgia with 

his Ukrainian passport. After that Azerbaijan put him on wanted list 

for violation of the law on state border and migration code of the 

country. On January 20 General Prosecutor's Office of Belarus 

fulfilled request of Azerbaijan's General Prosecutor's Office on 

extradition of Russian and Israeli citizen famous blog writer 

Alexander Lapshin to Azerbaijan.  On January 26 Municipal Court of 

Minsk has left unchanged Belarusian Prosecutor General's decision on 

Russian- Israeli blog writer Alexander Lapshin's extradition. Minsk 

municipal court discussed the complaint for several hours and 

dismissed the complaint explaining its decision with lawfulness of 

the decision made by the Prosecutor's Office.