Wife of Navy officer jailed in Japan calls on Biden to commute sentence as US sends him to prison upon return
The wife of a U.S. Navy officer who was imprisoned in Japan and returned home only to be sent to prison to finish out the punishment said it is "undeniable" President Biden has the power to commute the sentence or pardon her husband.
U.S. Navy Lt. Ridge Alkonis was released by Japan earlier this month into U.S. custody after being imprisoned on charges stemming from the death of two Japanese citizens as a result of a car crash while descending Mount Fuji in 2022. However, upon finally returning to the United States, Alkonis was jailed again by American authorities to fulfill his prison term imposed by Japan.
On Tuesday, Alkonis' wife Brittany spoke out to Fox News, and was asked whether she believes President Biden can or should commute his three-year sentence.
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Brittany Alkonis told "America's Newsroom" that Ridge's commanding officer reviewed the U.S. Navy's investigation of the case, and determined there is, in her own words, "no fault – and that Ridge should receive his promotion [and] continue on with his career."
Anchor Dana Perino said Vice President Kamala Harris and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan had worked to get Alkonis back stateside, but questioned whether Biden could take further action to finally free him from his own country's self-imposed captivity.
"I cannot say that – that that is up to the president's discretion. It is his choice alone," she said, while, however, arguing the president does have the unique power to do so.
Brittany Alkonis said that if Biden takes no action, the Justice Department could still go through typical processes to reconsider Ridge's case.
"He could be home in time for Christmas. When I was driving my kids home from their grandparents' house last night, they sat in the backseat, commiserating over repeated nightmares that they have," Brittany went on.
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"And the [nightmares] all have to do with Ridge not coming home; with their dad dying in prison before he comes home. It's unacceptable and it's unnecessary. He could be home today if the US government wanted him to."
She said it doesn't make sense why the U.S. government would fight so hard to bring Ridge home just to put him in prison in Los Angeles.
Brittany surmised that part of the issue may be concern within the government to continue "appeasing Japan" rather than "providing justice."
At the time of the 2022 incident in Japan, Alkonis said that instead of immediately being given medical attention, he was arrested by Japanese authorities. Neurologists later contended he suffered from Acute Mountain Sickness that caused him to suddenly pass out due to a rapid altitudinal change, rather than for any negligent reason.
Alkonis' family at the time alleged his treatment by Japanese authorities violated the postwar Status of Forces Agreement between the U.S. and Japan, as Alkonis lived in Yokosuka and was scheduled to soon be deployed on the USS Benfold. (The U.S. and Japan imposed their Status of Forces Agreement in 1960, as a replacement for a 1952 treaty that ultimately ended Western occupation of Japan after the Axis powers lost World War II.)
The Alkonis family stated they also offered customary Japanese ‘gomenasai’ – or apology – and wrote condolences to the family in addition to negotiating a record $1.65 million gomensai settlement, which purportedly would typically offset jailtime.
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Alkonis' arrest in Japan notably sparked rare bipartisan furor on Capitol Hill:
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, offered an impassioned speech on the Senate floor just before Alkonis was scheduled to begin his 2022 imprisonment in Japan, saying was "nothing short of inexcusable that an American who experienced a medical emergency should be treated so poorly by an Allied nation that he's protecting."
"Clearly the Japanese judicial system is trying to make an example of Lt. Alkonis – perhaps stemming from a history of disputes over our Status of Forces Agreement," Lee said at the time.
"He is being targeted because he is an American – and because he was in the unfortunate position of having suffered a medical emergency that resulted in tragedy."
On the Democratic side, Rep. Michael Levin of Alkonis' native California expressed what he called "deep concern over the Japanese government's handling of Lt. Ridge Alkonis [and his case]."
Fox News' Greg Norman contributed to this report.