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Ombudsman Office reps meets with blogger Lapshin

17 February 2017 12:57 (UTC+04:00)
Ombudsman Office reps meets with blogger Lapshin

By Rashid Shirinov

Members of the National Preventive Group under the Ombudsman Office of Azerbaijan visited the Baku detention centre on February 16.

The purpose of the visit, which was paid without initial notification, was to examine conditions of detention and treatment of detainees and ensuring their rights.

The National Preventive Group studied the detention conditions in the detention center and met a number of detainees kept at the center. They did not express complaints regarding treatment by employees of the detention center.

The National Preventive Group gave each of the detainees legal advice in connection with their investigations, studied materials of their criminal cases, clarified the requirements of the relevant legislation, and received their requests and appeals to the Ombudsman.

During the visit, the National Preventive Group also met with blogger Alexander Lapshin, who will stand trial in Baku for his illegal visits to the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh.

Lapshin expressed satisfaction with detention conditions and his treatment by employees, as well as the medical examination and quality of food.

Lapshin said his procedural rights are fully guaranteed. He can freely meet with his lawyer and interpreter, as well as with officials of diplomatic missions of Russia and Israel, whose citizenships he owns.

The National Preventive Group studied the documents on his arrest, inspected his cell and revealed no violation.

In conclusion, members of the National Preventive Group gave the management of the detention centre recommendations based on national and international legislation.

Blogger 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. He violated Azerbaijani laws on state border in April 2011 and October 2012.

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 on April 6 and June 29, 2016.

In early February, Lapshin was extradited from Minsk to Baku to stand trial in Azerbaijan.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz

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