(NewsNation) — The wife of a navy officer who was transferred to U.S. custody is disappointed with the lack of progress and clarity regarding his release.
“It feels like the same thing we were going through back in Japan. There’s nothing complicated about this case, and if it were the desire of the DOJ and the administration, he could be home right now,” Brittany Alkonis said in an “On Balance” interview.
Navy Lt. Ridge Alkonis remains in custody in Los Angeles despite his release from a Japanese jail last week. Alkonis spent 2.5 years incarcerated on charges of negligent driving, a claim refuted by medical records indicating he was suffering from a medical condition during a fatal car crash.
Brittany Alkonis revealed that she has been able to visit her husband since his return but expressed her dismay at the ongoing uncertainty surrounding his release. “I am shocked not only that he’s still in jail today but there’s no clear answer as to when he’ll be out,” she said.
While Japan released him to the U.S., Alkonis’ homecoming remains uncertain, as the Department of Justice (DOJ) has not determined whether he will be freed in time to spend Christmas with his family.
During last year’s State of the Union address, President Joe Biden pledged to Brittany Alkonis, that he would bring her husband back. However, as of now, the President has yet to fully deliver on that promise.
When asked about the timeline for her husband’s return if Biden intervened, Brittany Alkonis replied, “I can’t imagine it being more than 24 hours. He certainly could have made that decision as soon as Rich was in the air and out of the hands of Japan.”
Host Leland Vittert pressed Brittany Alkonis on why she believes the president has not acted swiftly. Brittany Alkonis responded, “At the end of the day, he’s the Commander in Chief, and I think he has a responsibility to do right by service members and my children, my husband, our family. We’ve suffered for two and a half years. Surely that’s enough.”
Brittany Alkonis had met with the National Security Council group tasked with trying to negotiate his transfer, and she and others also spoke directly with Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and the National Security Adviser.
Members of Congress also expressed support for Alkonis and his family, and attempted to elevate his case.
The wrongful detention of Americans has become more widespread and harder to resolve over the past decade, according to a new study by the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation.
The study from the group, which advocates to free hostages and the wrongfully detained, found a 60% increase in the average length of a U.S. national’s captivity when taken hostage over the past 11 years. Several cases involved Americans being detained for more than 2,000 days spanning three presidential administrations.
Another former U.S. Marine, Paul Whelan, continues to be detained in Russia, where he has been held for nearly four years on suspicion of spying. Whelan’s family maintains he was attending a wedding in Moscow when he was detained.
Another American school teacher, 61-year-old Marc Fogel, has been held prisoner in Russia since last year. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison after being caught with 17 grams of cannabis that was medically prescribed by his doctors.
An estimated 60 Americans are being held prisoner across the world, mostly by foreign adversaries like Iran, Russia and Venezuela, the foundation reported.
NewsNation’s Devan Markham contributed to this report.
