An embattled Israeli-Russian blogger was trotted in front of Azerbaijani journalists on February 8 following his extradition from Belarus to Azerbaijan, where he is facing charges of illegal border-crossing and hostile activity, the article of Giorgi Lomsadze published on eurasianet.org reads.

According to the author, Azerbaijan has long tried to coerce Karabakh back under Baku’s control through international isolation by blacklisting foreign travelers visiting the territory. “But this is the first time Azerbaijan had a foreign national arrested in a foreign country and then handed over to its control for such an offense,” the article reads.

In the author’s words, the 40-year-old blogger may have become a victim of geopolitical circumstances: concern about an increasingly bossy Moscow united Belarusian and Azerbaijani presidents, “who also share a dislike for critical media and a propinquity for a seemingly endless hold on power.” Besides, Lukashenko has been taking an increasingly hostile line on Russia, banking on Azerbaijan as an alternative to Russian energy supplies.

“Such a confluence of events proved unfortunate for Lapshin,” he writes.  

“Ultimately, Lapshin’s biggest hope for leaving Azerbaijan may be Israel, a key Azerbaijani defense and energy ally. Last week, Belarus’ Lukashenko cryptically remarked that “If Israel wants it, not a single hair will fall from this person’s head,” the article reads.

Both Moscow and Jerusalem have voiced concern over the fate of Lapshin, but, as yet, to no obvious avail.