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US-jailed Russian pilot’s health deteriorates — Foreign Ministry

The US authorities keep avoiding the provision of adequate medical assistance to Yaroshenko under various pretext, Russian Foreign Ministry Envoy for Human Rights, Democracy and Supremacy of Law says

Konstantin Yaroshenko ITAR-TASS

Konstantin Yaroshenko

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Russia to use all legal channels to return Yaroshenko to Russia — human rights ombudsman

MOSCOW, November 19. /TASS/. The health condition of Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko jailed in the United States continues deteriorating, Russian Foreign Ministry Envoy for Human Rights, Democracy and Supremacy of Law Konstantin Dolgov said on Thursday.

"We have not received an answer from the US authorities and Washington up until now to our tough representation made to the US embassy over the inadmissibility of the situation developing around Konstantin Yaroshenko. Unfortunately, his health condition continues deteriorating. Moreover, it continues deteriorating considerably," the Russian Foreign Ministry envoy said.

"I wouldn’t like to darken the picture but such concern exists," he added.

"The US authorities continue avoiding the fulfillment of the relevant obligations and international law commitments and keep avoiding the provision of adequate medical assistance to Yaroshenko under various pretext," Dolgov said.

Yaroshenko was arrested in Liberia on May 28, 2010 for allegedly intending to transport a large shipment of cocaine.

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Russia’s Investigative Committee said in April it had opened a criminal probe into the abduction of Russian pilot Yaroshenko by US and Liberian special services.

According to investigators, Russian national Yaroshenko was abducted by the suspects on May 28, 2010 from the parking space of Royal Hotel in the city of Monrovia in the West African country of Liberia under the pretext of his detention for alleged trade in drugs for their subsequent illegal delivery to the United States.

Yaroshenko was subsequently transferred illegally by officers of the Drug Enforcement Administration of the US Department of Justice to New York aboard a plane without compliance with any required legal procedures set both by international norms and the legislation of Liberia regulating the extradition and deportation of a foreign citizen, and also without the obligatory notice of Russia’s diplomatic mission.

The Russian pilot was taken to a local US prison, after which he was put on trial and sentenced to a lengthy term. Yaroshenko is currently serving his sentence on the US territory.

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Foreign policy United States Human rights Konstantin Dolgov

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