US Refusing to Discuss Exchange of Bout, Yaroshenko for US Prisoners, Russian Diplomat Says

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Biden administration has not yet answered a petition by the family of jailed Russian national Konstantin Yaroshenko, who asked to pardon him, as Washington does not want to set a precedent, the Russian Foreign Ministry's Commissioner for Human Rights, Grigory Lukyantsev, said in an interview with Sputnik.

In May, the wife and daughter of pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko, who was extradited to the United States from Liberia in 2011 and sentenced to 20 years in prison for alleged drug trafficking, sent a letter to US President Joe Biden.

"As far as we know, they have not yet provided any response to this appeal. At the same time, our embassy in Washington is keeping the issue under control, maintains contact with Konstantin Yaroshenko, and making efforts to draw the US authorities' attention to his requests. In particular, in July 2021, a comprehensive medical examination was carried out and he was provided with the necessary medications", Lukyantsev said.

Washington is reluctant to consider pardoning or exchanging Yaroshenko and continues to insist he should not "set a negative precedent", the diplomat added.

Lukyantsev noted that the US also refuses to negotiate the potential exchange of Russian businessman Viktor Bout, who is serving a 25-year sentence for allegedly conspiring to kill US citizens.

"The US representatives have repeatedly officially stated that they are not going to let Viktor Bout go anywhere. In general, they do not even try to hide their certain annoyance with the fact that Bout did not cooperate with the investigation and did not admit his guilt. Therefore, the US constantly emphasises that Viktor Bout will remain in the US until the end of his term, handed down to him by an American court. At the same time, he is still under very strong influence and pressure", Lukyantsev said.

Russian diplomats in the US continue to maintain contact with Bout and his family, his wife in particular, the official assured.

"We have repeatedly invited the US to act on the mechanism of the Council of Europe's convention on prisoner exchange ... But the US constantly refuses to even discuss the possible exchange or deportation of Viktor Bout and continues to emphasize that he will serve the full 25-year term", Lukyantsev concluded.