Russian Pilot Jailed in US Could Return to Russia Before US Elections - Lawyer

Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko, jailed in the United States, has a chance to return to Russia before the end of US President Barack Obama term, his lawyer Alexei Tarasov said on Friday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Earlier on Friday, Russian Foreign Ministry Human Rights Ombudsman Konstantin Dolgov told Sputnik that the Russian Embassy in the United States has requested the US Department of Justice to transfer imprisoned Yaroshenko in accordance with the Convention on the transfer of sentenced persons, adopted in 1983.

"I think Yaroshenko has all chances to get permission to be transferred to Russia before the end of the current US administration’s term," Tarasov said.

The lawyer noted that the policy of the current US President Barack Obama was to reduce the term of imprisonment of those accused of drug crimes, therefore, hundreds of people were pardoned or got significant reduction of sentence.

Tarasov added that in case the request to transfer Yaroshenko was made now, then three months period required for consideration would end by the time of the US Administration change.

The new US President would be elected on November 8 and take office on January 20.

Yaroshenko, sentenced to 20 years in prison for conspiring to import more than $100 million worth of cocaine into the United States, was arrested in Liberia in 2010 and given back to US authorities. In April 2016, the Appeal Court of New York denied revising Yaroshenko’s sentence.