Russian authorities will not seek the extradition of a 24-year-old Japanese who was detained in Georgia along with a Chechen fighter, a spokesman at Russia's Supreme Prosecutors Office said Wednesday.
Russia has asked Georgia to extradite the Chechen, who was detained on the Georgian border in late August.
Hiroshi Minami, formerly a member of the Ground Self-Defense Force, was detained along with the Chechen fighter after they crossed into Georgia from Chechnya.
The Supreme Prosecutors Office spokesman did not disclose the reason for sparing Minami, but Moscow apparently wanted to avoid a diplomatic flareup with Japan.