23:19, 26 July 2017

Lapshin asks for extradition to Israel

Blogger Alexander Lapshin has been extradited to Azerbaijan. Baku, February 2017. Photo: Sputnik/ Murad Orujov

Blogger Alexander Lapshin, convicted of illegally crossing the Azerbaijani border, has refused to appeal against the verdict passed by the Baku court and decided to ask for extradition to Israel, his advocate reports.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on July 20, a Baku court sentenced Lapshin to three years in a general-security colony.

Alexander Lapshin is a citizen of Russia, Ukraine and Israel. He can expect to be extradited to Russia or Ukraine; while Azerbaijan has no appropriate agreement with Israel, his advocate said on July 20.

The Lapshin's appeal about extradition from Azerbaijan to Israel can be considered on the basis of international treaties, but only after the verdict comes into force, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has explained.

"Each prisoner has the right to such appeal, and he can enjoy it," the APA quotes Faig Gurbanov, head of the MoJ’s Human Rights and Public Relations Department.

On July 21, the Russia’s MoJ expressed its readiness to initiate Lapshin’s extradition to Russia, should he apply for.

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