YEREVAN. – The Armenian side is trying to secure guarantees for blogger Alexander Lapshin, Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) of Armenia, Arman Tatoyan told reporters on Thursday.

According to him, the work is conducted with a number of organizations.

“I agree with the statement of my colleague from Karabakh: it is necessary to organize trips to Karabakh frequently and to attract many foreign journalists,” Tatoyan said.

After his visits to Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) in 2011 and 2012, famous blogger Alexander Lapshin was “blacklisted” by Azerbaijan.

In June 2016, however, he paid a visit to Azerbaijan, but with a Ukrainian passport. Subsequently, he issued several articles criticizing the Azerbaijani authorities. Afterward, the Azerbaijani authorities issued an international search for this famous blogger.

On December 15, 2016, he was detained in the Belarus capital city of Minsk, and based on this international search.

Baku demands his extradition to Azerbaijan, and for visiting Artsakh.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and US Department of State Spokesperson John Kirby, however, had spoken against Lapshin’s detention and such extradition, noting the importance of upholding freedom of speech.