Brittany Alkonis, the wife of Navy Lt. Ridge Alkonis, has criticized the Department of Defense over the “unimaginable” treatment she and her family received from the department following her husband’s wrongful conviction in japan. Lt.Alkonis was jailed in Japan for his involvement in an accident that left two people dead.
Lt. Alkonis, based at Yokosuka Naval Base, was convicted by the Japanese courts for negligent driving while driving down Mt. Fuji. The accident occurred after Alkonis suffered acute mountain sickness — otherwise known as altitude sickness — while driving.
The accident led to the death of two people. Upon trial, Alkonis was found guilty and now serving a three-year prison sentence in Japan.
1. The Wall Street Journal editorial board has perfectly summarized the drama slowly unfolding with U.S. Navy Lt. Ridge Alkonis. https://t.co/D4EfnaqZaK
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) January 9, 2023
Brittany has expressed her discontent with her husband’s sentence. She claims conviction for negligent driving due to a medical emergency similar to a heart attack, stroke or seizure is not a crime.
I’m grateful to my Senate colleagues for standing with the family of Navy Lt. Ridge Alkonis. As Lt. Alkonis sits in a Japanese prison on the eve of Christmas, we cannot leave his family wondering how they will feed themselves or keep a roof over their heads. #BringRidgeHome pic.twitter.com/XcMEougFhA
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) December 22, 2022
She also questions the validity of the judgment, saying that since conditions similar to altitude sickness are not a crime in America and Japan, her husband shouldn’t be in jail.
“As we were driving down the mountain, he was mid-conversation with my daughter and he just blacked out,” Brittany told Fox & Friends Weekend’s Pete Hegseth. “My daughter tried to wake him. It did not work. We were in a car accident. That did not wake him at all. He never hit the brake.”
Brittany described her husband’s case in the hands of DoD as a “big hurdle” because the department is not helpful. Brittany, who was moved to tears, lamented that her husband’s dedication to service deserves better treatment.
The Alkonis case isn’t complicated. It should’ve been resolved months ago. This video shows the grief of a U.S. Navy officer wrongly imprisoned in Japan who feels abandoned by DOD and the foreign country he was assigned to protect. #BringRidgeHome https://t.co/eqRUi3EbYH
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) January 15, 2023
Amid the DoD’s response to Brittany’s statements, the department has empathized with her and assured her that they always back their troops.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel have also stepped in, revealing that President Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris have spoken to the Japanese prime minister regarding Alkonis’ release.
