Baku thanks Minsk for extradition of blogger who visited KarabakhFebruary 9, 2017 - 12:47 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in a phone call on Wednesday, February 8 thanked Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko for extraditing Russian-Israeli blogger Alexander Lapshin. Aliyev described the step as "compliance with the rule of law and international conventions," as well as "a manifestation of friendly and strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Belarus." Lapshin, 40, a dual Israeli-Russian citizen, divides his time between Israel and a few other places. He was arrested on December 15 in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, at the request of Azeri authorities who demanded his extradition. The arrest was made one day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. Lapshin was arrested following his visits to Nagorno Karabakh as well as due to critical posts in his Russian-language blog against Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Related links: Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |