YEREVAN, JULY 20, ARMENPRESS. A Baku court delivered the verdict regarding blogger Alexander Lapshin’s case, a citizen of Russia and Israel.

The court sentenced Lapshin to three years imprisonment, APA reports.

On July 19, Lapshin delivered remarks dismissing charges brought against him and pleading not guilty.

Charges included "public calls against the state" and "illegal border crossing". Lapshin was found guilty for the latter, citing "insufficient evidence for the first charge". The first charge was brought under Article 318 of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code, a completely unfathomable and fraudulent “law”, requiring foreigners to receive “authorization” to visit Artsakh. The "law" has received wide condemnation and critisizm from activists and MEPs. 

His attorney demanded to drop the phoney charges. He said that all accusations are groundless.

“The opinions of the experts aren’t based on reliable evidence, because in his articles Lapshin didn’t call on violating Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity”, he said.

The prosecution was seeking six years imprisonment.

The Azerbaijani authorities began persecuting Lapshin after he visited Artsakh.  An illegitimate arrest warrant was issued, followed by the travel blogger’s arrest in Belarus and extradition to Baku, which sparked huge controversy and public discontent among scholars, journalists, human rights activists and politicians.