Minsk extradites Russian blogger Lapshin to Azerbaijan

Blogger Alexander Lapshin having Russian and Israeli citizenship has been extradited from Minsk to Azerbaijan. A plane with him landed in Baku last night.

Lapshin was handcuffed when officers of the Azerbaijani State Security Service were taking him from the Baku Airport.

On Feb 7, the Belarusian Supreme Court ruled that his extradition to Azerbaijan would be legal.

Lapshin was detained and put into custody in Minsk for two months under a request from Azerbaijan. Baku accuses him of visiting the Nagorno-Karabakh territory and “campaigning for the separatist regime.”

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko previously called not to hype the issue. “I told you: give him away under the law. Under the law means: do the Russians want to take him? do the Israelis want to take him? It does not look like they want. By the way, Azerbaijan addressed the Interpol, not us. We detained him in accordance with the Interpol’s decision. According to all laws and order, we must give him to Azerbaijan… Do we have grounds not to extradite him to Azerbaijan? None. He will somehow appeal against it, but I am sure the court will support our decision, as it is lawful,” he said.