Blogger Alexander Lapshin expressed his gratitude to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyevfor pardoning him, lawyer Edward Chernin told APA.
In his letter addressed to the Azerbaijani president, Lapshin expressed regret over what he did, said the lawyer.
“In his letter, Lapshin admitted his mistakes, expressing his gratitude to the Azerbaijani president and his family members for the pardoning,” Chernin said, APA reports.
Lapshin, who is a citizen of several countries, was detained in Minsk, Belarus on December 15, 2016 at the request of the Azerbaijani government. He was brought to Azerbaijan on February 7, 2017. Lapshin was charged under articles 281.2 (public appeals against the state) and 318.2 (illegal border crossing).
The charge against Lapshin under Article 281.2 of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code (public appeals against the state) was dropped due to a lack of evidence. He was sentenced to three years in prison by the Baku Court of Grave Crimes.
On Sept. 10, Lapshin made a suicide attempt in prison. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed an order on Sept. 11 to pardon Alexander Lapshin.
