Russian Pilot Yaroshenko 'Dying Right Now' in US - Mother

The United States is punishing Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko, jailed in the country, for refusing to lie and to testify against Russian businessman Viktor Bout, pilot’s mother Lyubov said Tuesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Bout was arrested in Bangkok in 2008 in a joint operation between Thai and US authorities, who accused him of conspiring to kill US nationals by allegedly agreeing to supply Colombian militants with weapons. He is currently serving a 25-year sentence in an Illinois prison.

"Konstantin was offered a Green Card in exchange for lying and testifying against Viktor Bout," she told a press conference.

Lyubov Yaroshenko called on Russia to be "stricter" in the issue and appeal to international organizations to achieve the release of her son.

"Of course, they want something in exchange for Kostya [Yaroshenko], they will not give him away just like that… He is dying right now," his mother said.

Yaroshenko, a Russian pilot sentenced to 20 years in prison for allegedly conspiring to import more than $100 million worth of cocaine into the United States, was arrested in Liberia in 2010 and subsequently extradited to the United States.

The Russian authorities have repeatedly expressed concern over the circumstances of Yaroshenko's arrest and the poor conditions of his detention.