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Lavrov tells Kerry he hopes for positive decision regarding Yaroshenko

Lavrov also drew Kerry’s attention to an open letter of the mother of Russian national Yaroshenko, who is kept in an American prison, to U.S. President Barack Obama

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Jailed Russian pilot’s family wants to appeal his verdict in international courts

MOSCOW, September 7. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry by phone that he hopes for a positive decision regarding Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko, convicted in the United States, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported Wednesday.

"Lavrov also drew Kerry’s attention to an open letter of the mother of Russian national Yaroshenko, who is kept in an American prison on dubious charges, to U.S. President Barack Obama with a request to free her son," the ministry said.

"Hope was expressed that the purely humanitarian matter will be solved positively with account for numerous addresses of the Russian side," the statement said.

Pilot Yaroshenko was arrested in 2010 in Liberia and then taken to the United States. He was sentenced in 2011 to 20 years in prison in the U.S. for allegedly intending to smuggle cocaine. The Russian is serving his sentence in the Fort Dix prison in the state of New Jersey.

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