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Time in Yerevan: 11:07,   28 March 2024

European Ombudsman Institute expresses deep concern over arrest & extradition of Lapshin

European Ombudsman Institute expresses deep concern over arrest & extradition of Lapshin

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 10, ARMENPRESS. The European Ombudsman Institute has released an official statement on the arrest, extradition and protection of speech freedom of blogger Alexander Lapshin, Armenia’s Ombudsman Office told ARMENPRESS.

Below is the full statement of the EOI.

It is a matter of deep concern that a journalist and blogger Mr. Alexander Lapshin was arrested and then extradited.

 The described situation tends to turn to an unacceptable situation violating freedom of expression and media.

Considering the fact that visits of civil society actors and journalists to Nagorno-Karabakh have invaluable significance in humanitarian sense and providing objective information about the situation there. Any action towards territorial limitation for fulfilling media representatives’ democratic mission is strongly condemnable. This decision on A. Lapshin’s extradition is a real threat to freedom of expression and media that lie at the heart of European values, as well as seriously endangers human rights values.

Apart from this, the extradition of Mr. Alexander Lapshin is very concerning because of real possibility of his torture and inhuman treatment. Clear sign of ill-treatment against Mr. Lapshin is that his arrest and transfer into another region was largely disseminated in media: handcuffed, apprehended by military in masks and with guns. Such treatment towards a journalist is impermissible.

It is especially worrying that someone, according to the information already received from some journalists, has sent letters to some of journalists with threats to prosecute them for their journalistic activities. It is not acceptable to use this impermissible step for artificial prosecutions and infringement of journalists’ and civil activists’ rights. 

The European Ombudsman Institute welcomes the importance of reactions protecting freedom of speech in any territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and other regions, already delivered by the OSCE special representative for freedom of the media, some EU officials and human rights defender organizations.

For preventing such kind of vicious practice it should be preliminary confronted with strong condemnation.

Alexander Lapshin, the Russian-Israeli blogger who was extradited from Belarus to Azerbaijan on February 7, has been placed in the isolation cell in Azerbaijan’s state security service, Ria Novosti reported.

Lapshin was flown to Baku from Minsk on a special flight, escorted by state security agents. A group of reporters were waiting for Lapshin in Baku’s airport, but Lapshin didn’t give any comment to them.

A news correspondent reported from the airport that Lapshin is in a serious mental condition and he didn’t respond to the questions of journalists.

The Belarus Supreme Court denied Lapshin’s appeal on the extradition verdict issued by the General Prosecutor of Belarus.

Lapshin faces up to 5 years imprisonment in Azerbaijan, under charges of “public calls against the state”, and “unauthorized crossing of borders”.

Belarus police arrested Alexander Lapshin on December 15, 2016 in Minsk. Lapshin, a Russian and Israeli citizen, resides in Moscow and writes for the famous Russian Travel Blog. He is wanted by Azerbaijan for visiting Nagorno Karabakh in 2011, 2012 and 2016, and criticizing Azerbaijan’s policy in his blog.

Baku demanded the extradition of Lapshin from Belarus.

Earlier it was reported that the Deputy Prosecutor General of Belarus has made a decision to uphold the request of Azerbaijan’s General Prosecutor on extraditing Citizen of Russia and Israel Alexander Lapshin, who is wanted for violating Articles 281.2 and 318.2 of Azerbaijan’s Criminal Code.

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said on February 3 : “Belarus has no grounds to not extradite Lapshin to Azerbaijan”. He said the issue will be solved based on law and international agreements.

The Russian foreign ministry said it is inadmissible to extradite Russian citizens to third countries.

 








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