In a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump, Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko, who is serving a sentence in an American prison, compared his situation to that of American student Otto Warmbier, who died after being released from North Korea. This was disclosed by Yaroshenko’s lawyer, Alexey Tarasov, to RIA Novosti.
Media reports, citing Yaroshenko, had earlier stated that he sent a letter to Trump requesting a return to Russia. “I can confirm that the letter was sent, and I have access to its text,” said Tarasov.
While Tarasov did not reveal the complete text of Yaroshenko’s letter to the American leader, he mentioned that “Konstantin draws an analogy between his case and that of the American citizen Otto Warmbier, who was recently released by North Korea and, sadly, died shortly after returning to the United States.”
“Konstantin makes this comparison in the final part of his letter, appealing to the American leader to show humanity and mercy by transferring him to the Russian Federation,” the lawyer added.
University of Virginia student Otto Warmbier was returned to the U.S. in a coma after a lengthy imprisonment in North Korea. He was convicted in North Korea for attempting to steal and smuggle out a political poster from Pyongyang; he returned to the U.S. in a coma and died a few days after his return.
In the United States, Yaroshenko was sentenced in 2011 to 20 years on charges of conspiracy to deliver a large shipment of drugs. He was extradited to the U.S. from Liberia, where he was arrested on May 28, 2010. In April 2016, the New York Court of Appeal refused to review Yaroshenko’s sentence. Yaroshenko chose not to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. His defense has repeatedly highlighted inhumane treatment, lack of medical care, and the consequent deterioration of his health.
Source: RIA Novosti correspondent, July 5, 2017
