Moscow: No complaints received from blogger Lapshin
By Rashid Shirinov
Russian diplomats have received no complaints from blogger Alexander Lapshin regarding his detention conditions in Baku, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on February 15.
Noting that the Russian Embassy in Baku immediately contacted Lapshin, who is being rendered qualified assistance, Zakharova said that the Russian side is in constant contact with Azerbaijan on this issue.
The blogger, who was extradited from Minsk in early February, will stand trial in Baku for his illegal visits to the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh. Lapshin, who owns citizenships of several countries, illegally visited Azerbaijan`s Armenia-occupied lands and now is charged under the articles 281.2 (appeals directed against state) and 318.2 (illegal border crossing) articles of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.
Helped by his accomplices in the occupied territories, Lapshin, paid a number of visits to Azerbaijan`s occupied lands, where he voiced support for "independence" of the illegal regime, and made public calls against Azerbaijan`s internationally recognized territorial integrity.
Zakharova further urged reporters not to use unverified information while covering the issue.
Meanwhile, blogger’s lawyer Safar Huseynov said that Lapshin's wife Catherine has called him to learn about status and conditions of his detention.
“I have informed her about his condition, the conditions of detention and the course of the investigation,” the lawyer said, adding that the embassies of Russia and Israel in Azerbaijan closely follow the case.
Baku has repeatedly warned foreign officials and diplomats of unauthorized visits to its territories that are occupied by Armenia, calling them contradictory to international law.
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry and diplomatic missions pay special attention to the illegal activity in the occupied areas of Azerbaijan. The work is constantly carried out to prevent such illegal actions.
Azerbaijan and Armenia for over two decades have been locked in conflict, which emerged over Armenian territorial claims. Since the 1990s war, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions. The UN Security Council has adopted four resolutions on Armenian withdrawal, but they have not been enforced to this day.
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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
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