Ridge Alkonis

Common card · No. 401458

Ridge Hannemann Alkonis (born 1988) is a former United States Navy lieutenant whose imprisonment in Japan became a political issue. In 2021, Alkonis was involved in a vehicle accident that left two others dead. He was convicted of negligent driving and sentenced to three years in prison, with the judgement being upheld upon appeal. The Biden administration worked diplomatically to free him, and several members of the United States Congress criticized the Japanese justice system. After only a year of imprisonment in Japan, Alkonis was transferred to US custody and paroled unconditionally shortly after. The Alkonis case strained bilateral ties between the United States and Japan.

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