
Japan sounds out Jenkins to come to Japan for medical treatment
Tuesday July 13, 8:35 PM / Kyodo
...Tokyo is seeking Washington's cooperation in the matter behind the scenes, they said.
Jenkins has reportedly refused to come to Japan due to fear Japan will hand him over to the United States for a court-martial under a bilateral extradition treaty. He is said to be ill and has recently undergone surgery in North Korea.
The treaty has no clause to limit extradition of a culprit under treatment, but whether to actually hand a suspect over in such a case is often left to a judgment of circumstances, the Foreign Ministry said. Persuading Washington should be possible in that sense, according to the sources.
Japanese doctors who were sent to check Jenkins' condition have concluded that he needs treatment in Japan, and the government is considering a hospital in the greater Tokyo area, the sources said.
One government official said Washington is unlikely to request a handover if Jenkins comes to Japan for medical treatment, "based on common sense."