One should consider risk of possible arrest travelling to Belarus – Russia’s MFA


Russia’s Foreign Ministry has sent a letter of reply to blogger Alexander Lapshin who was extradited by Belarus to Azerbaijan in February, 2017.

In the letter, the officials recommended Russian citizens to consider ‘possible risks of detention or arrest’ when planning to travel to Belarus especially in cases when a person is wanted internationally or suggests that a third State may have taken criminal action against them.

According to the ministry, despite the fact that Russia and Belarus are the Union State, a Russian citizen who is on the international wanted list may be arrested and extradited in Belarus at the request of a third state.

“I think the Russian Foreign Ministry commented diplomatically, but rather precisely on this question – Belarusians should not be trusted and it is not recommended to go there,” Lapshin said.

Mr Lapshin is a citizen of Russia, Israel, and Ukraine.

Azerbaijani authorities accused Lapshin of violating the state border law. He got into the “black list” for visiting Nagorno-Karabakh Republic without approval from the authorities. In December 2016 the blogger was detained in Minsk, and in February 2017 he was handed to Azerbaijan, where he was sentenced to three years in prison.  Lapshin claims there was attempt on his life when he was in jail. In turn, Baku says that Lapshin attempted suicide.

In September 2017, Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev signed an order to pardon Alexander Lapshin.

belsat.eu

TWITTER