17:00, 8 February 2017

"Helsinki Initiative-92" treats Lapshin’s extradition as violation of OSCE Charter

Alexander Lapshin is convoyed in Baku, February 7, 2017. Photo by Aziz Karimov for the "Caucasian Knot"

The inaction of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on the issue of deporting by Belarus to Azerbaijan of the blogger Alexander Lapshin threatens the talks of the parties of the Karabakh conflict, members of the Nagorno-Karabakh Committee "Helsinki Initiative-92" believe.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on February 7, Lapshin was transported to Baku from Minsk.

Alexander Lapshin, a citizen of Russia, Ukraine and Israel, is accused by Baku of visiting the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR), which Azerbaijan treats as its occupied territory, and of his public statements in support of the NKR’s independence.

According to NKR’s rights defenders, the actions of the above two countries are contrary to the Charter of the OSCE.

The authors of the statement point to the "absolute incapacity" of the OSCE in the issue of Lapshin’s extradition.

Earlier, the authorities of Russia, Armenia and NKR condemned Belarus’ decision to extradite Lapshin.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.

Author: Alvard Grigoryan

Source: CK correspondent