"Although the issues of extradition blogger Alexander Lapshin is something for relevant countries, but the United States recalls the need to protect freedom of speech", - US State Department spokesman John Kirby stated in the regular press briefing, AzVision.az reports quoting RİA Novosti.

“It would be better, relevant countries to comment it, but freedom of expression is important for us” - he replied to a question about the attitude of the US to the extradition blogger Alexander Lapshin from Belarus to Azerbaijan.

Earlier, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov stated that the issue of extradition of blogger Alexander Lapshin, who was detained at the request of Azerbaijan, should be addressed only within the legal framework. In accordance with the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, a criminal case has been initiated against Lapshin, who illegally crossed the state border of Azerbaijan and demonstrated disrespect to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan. Lapshin has been put on Interpol’s wanted list. All relevant documents have been submitted for the extradition of Lapshin, who was detained in Belarus in accordance with the Chisinau Convention of 2002 on the legal assistance and legal relations on civil, family and criminal cases. I believe Russia’s law-enforcement authorities would have taken similar steps in respect of a person who committed a similar action in relation to Russia and illegally crossed its state border.

Prior to this, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow stands against the extradition of the blogger to a third country.

Alexander Lapshin, who has multiple citizenships, was detained in Minsk at the request of Azerbaijan as he violated Azerbaijani borders and illegally visited Azerbaijan’s occupied territories.

Alexander Lapshin was included in the blacklist of the Azerbaijani foreign ministry in 2013 due to illegal visit he paid to Nagorno Karabakh along with other bloggers. In 2015, he entered the Azerbaijani territory through Georgia with the Ukrainian passport. As his name was written as Oleksandr in the passport, he managed to enter the country unhindered. The blogger was declared wanted for breaking the law “On violation of the state border” of Azerbaijan.

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