Earlier this month, Tarasov said that Yaroshenko believed he had the coronavirus, and all prisoners in the cell had become infected. According to the lawyer, the pilot said his cellmate had died from COVID-19.
"There is very sad news. The prison's administration has given Konstantin [Yaroshenko] an official rejection of our request for parole amid unforeseen circumstances," Tarasov said on late Friday.
The lawyer noted that they will appeal this decision in the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
On 22 April, Yaroshenko has been sent for a medical examination amid his complaints of the coronavirus symptoms.
Yaroshenko was arrested in Liberia in May 2010, suspected of drug trafficking. He was then extradited to the United States a year later and sentenced to 20 years in prison for taking part in a conspiracy to smuggle a large amount of drugs to the country. He has denied all accusations.