STEPANAKERT. – Azerbaijan would not succeed in turning the case of Alexander Lapshin into a legal precedent, as the underlying argument is unacceptable for any state or institution of a democratic nature, Nagorno-Karabakh Ombudsman Ruben Melikyan said in a statement.

“On the basis of allegations contradicting the very essence of fundamental human rights, Belarus on February 7 extradited to Azerbaijan popular blogger Alexander Lapshina after keeping him in jail for nearly two months.

By initiating criminal proceedings against Lapshin, Azerbaijan aimed to create a precedent to silence free voices talking about Artsakh and intimidate those wishing to visit Artsakh,” the Ombudsman said in a statement.

Moreover, Lapshin’s case will draw interest of human rights defender and journalists, Melikyan added.

The human rights defender urged the Diaspora, media and human rights organizations to engage actively in the process of making reverse precedent of Lapshin case.