Lapshin respects the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan - lawyer

Baku /22.06.17/Turan: A preparatory meeting on the case of blogger Alexander Lapshin was held in the Baku Serious Crimes Court today. A citizen of Russia, Ukraine and Israel, Alexander Lapshin, was prosecuted for illegally visiting the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, and appeals against the territorial integrity of the country. At the end of 2016 he was detained in Belarus, he was extradited to Azerbaijan on February 7, 2017. He faces several years in prison.

Representatives of the independent press were not allowed to attend the preparatory meeting. Several journalists from the pro-government media, three human rights activists from the Public Council at the Ministry of Justice, started the process. In addition, the trial was observed by representatives of the embassies of Russia, Israel and Ukraine, whose citizens are Lapshin.

A participant of the trial told, a judge Alovsat Abbasov asked Lapshin's personal data at the trial. The blogger said that he was born in 1976 and currently his permanent residence is Israel.

Prosecutor Nasir Bayramov asked the court to refer the case to a judicial investigation and leave a preventive measure in the form of arrest. Lawyer Lapshin Eudar Cernin did not object, taking into account that the blogger in Azerbaijan does not have a place to live. Court hearings are scheduled for June 30. Consul of Ukraine in Azerbaijan Bogdan Sergeychuk, who was present at the trial, with journalists was brief: "It was a preparatory trial. There is no reason to believe that Alexander Lapshin's rights were violated." Representatives of the embassies of Russia and Israel did not comment at all.

Lawyer Lapshin commenting on Turan results of the meeting said that "all issues were resolved within the law. "According to him, Lapshin did not make any statements and did not object to the transfer of the case to the court. Lapshin does not complain about the conditions of his detention, he remains in the sanitation unit of the jail, under medical supervision.

At the same time, the lawyer stressed that Lapshin "naturally can not be satisfied with being in prison."

Does Lapshin plead guilty? To this question, the lawyer said that the blogger recognizes himself "partly guilty." He admits that he made a trip to Nagorno-Karabakh - to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

At the same time, the lawyer noted that Lapshin had visited more than 126 countries and regions of the world. He was also in Transnistria, Abkhazia, Syria ... Lapshin states that he made these trips in order to personally get to know situations in conflict regions, see how people live in such places. With the same purpose he visited Karabakh. According to the lawyer, Lapshin did not have anything bad against Azerbaijan. When asked if Lapshin respects the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, the lawyer gave affirmative answer. According to the lawyer, Lapshin's accusations are groundless. However, he refrained from talking about this in more detail. Chernin believes that there is reason to justify Lapshin. -03C06--