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Russian pilot Yaroshenko may be transferred to another US prison — diplomatic mission

Konstantin Yaroshenko was convicted in the United States on September 7, 2011 and sentenced to 20 years in prison
Konstantin Yaroshenko ITAR-TASS
Konstantin Yaroshenko
© ITAR-TASS

NEW YORK, February 7. /TASS/. Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko may be transferred to another prison from the Danbury prison in Connecticut where he is currently held, the Russian Consulate General in New York wrote on its official Facebook account on Wednesday.

"The possibility is being considered to transfer K. Yaroshenko to another prison with the aim of improving the conditions of his detention," the consulate general said. Russian diplomats also noted that the consulate general is "investigating media reports about the refusal of the prison administration to provide medical assistance" to the Russian national.

The diplomatic mission said that they continue following the situation and plan to request a meeting with Yaroshenko soon. "We will continue facilitating observation of his rights and provision of medical assistance to K. Yaroshenko," the consulate general said.

Konstantin Yaroshenko was convicted in the United States on September 7, 2011 and sentenced to 20 years in prison. He pled not guilty and described his arrest as a provocation and the whole case as a frame-up. Yaroshenko was brought to the United States from Liberia, where he was arrested on May 28, 2010. Agents of the US Drug Enforcement Administration allegedly exposed Yaroshenko’s criminal intent to transport a large batch of cocaine.

The Russian authorities and the pilot’s family in Rostov-on-Don have repeatedly asked the United States for Yaroshenko’s handover to Russia.