Moscow demands that US authorities stop withholding medical treatment from Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko, currently serving a 20-year sentence in a US prison, as such action constitute abuse and a violation of the prisoner's human rights, the Russian embassy in the United States said on Friday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th February, 2020) Moscow demands that US authorities stop withholding medical treatment from Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko, currently serving a 20-year sentence in a US prison, as such action constitute abuse and a violation of the prisoner's human rights, the Russian embassy in the United States said on Friday.
"During a phone conversation, Yaroshenko confirmed to our diplomats that the prison's medical staff had not yet provided him with assistance. Our compatriot's health is getting worse. Konstantin himself has not ruled out [him having] a small stroke. It is ridiculous that repeated appeals are simply ignored in these conditions. The Russian is offered to wait 1-2 weeks for a doctor. Apparently, the very fact that he moves unassisted is perceived by the prison administration as the absence of an urgent need for treatment. This approach is absolutely unacceptable. We regard this as a blatant violation of human rights. We demand an end to the abuse against Yaroshenko," the embassy said in a statement on Facebook.
The embassy added that it was awaiting a response to a relevant notice sent to the US State Department on Wednesday.
The Russian diplomatic mission also noted the "disappointing silence" of human rights organizations on with regard to Yaroshenko's situation.
The Russian pilot was detained in Liberia in 2010 and transferred to the United States without going through an official extradition procedure, prompting protests from Russia. In 2011, a US court sentenced him to 20 years in prison for conspiring to smuggle drugs, charges Yaroshenko denies.
