MOSCOW, August 8. /TASS/. Journalists from the British daily The Guardian opted out from meeting with Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko, who has been sentenced to 20 years in prison in the United States, Russia’s Izvestia daily reported on Tuesday.
According to the Russian daily, The Guardian stated that it was unnecessary visiting Yaroshenko in the Federal Correctional Institution, Fort Dix, and refused taking commentaries from pilot’s relatives and lawyers.
Izvestia daily reported on August 2 citing a letter from Yaroshenko, that the imprisoned Russian pilot invited journalists from The Guardian to visit him at the correctional facility in New Jersey and asked them to conduct an independent investigation.
According to the Russian newspaper, Yaroshenko wrote in his letter that he had only recently read the story about him published by the British daily two years ago. Yaroshenko claimed that the story, written by Yudhijit Bhattacharjee, had no commentaries from him.
The Russian said at that time that he was shocked with the reaction from The Guardian adding that his position was not reflected at all in the story.
"I did not expect this from the British daily," Yaroshenko told Izvestia. "Moreover, I asked for logical things, which are to take into account journalistic standards, in other words to reflect my position as well."
Russian pilot Yaroshenko was sentenced to 20 years in jail in the United States on September 7, 2011. He had been brought to the United States from Liberia after being arrested on May 28, 2010. Agents from the US Drug Enforcement Administration operating in disguise allegedly exposed his criminal intentions to transport a large batch of cocaine.
Yaroshenko underwent a surgery last year, but proper post-operation treatment was denied to him.
Russia has numerously requested the United States to release Yaroshenko.