Indicted mogul takes on Japan's 'hostage justice' system

AFP News
·2-min read
Tsuguhiko Kadokawa was released on bail in April 2023 (-)
Tsuguhiko Kadokawa was released on bail in April 2023 (-)

The ex-chairman of a major Japanese publishing house who was indicted over bribery allegations linked to the Tokyo Olympics sued the government on Thursday over its so-called "hostage justice" detention system.

"Hostage justice" -- referring to suspects being held at length -- became widely used term at the time of former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn's shock arrest and escape from Japan.

Suspects can be detained for up to 23 days per charge, re-arrests are common and bail requests are often denied under the Japanese system, which Human Rights Watch criticised in a report last year.

Tsuguhiko Kadokawa, the former chair of Kadokawa Corporation -- the media conglomerate behind the hit video game "Elden Ring" -- was arrested and indicted in 2022 on bribery charges.

Prosecutors accuse him of paying around 69 million yen ($434,000) to Haruyuki Takahashi, a former Tokyo Olympics board member in charge of selecting sponsors for the pandemic-postponed 2020 Games.

The 80-year-old publishing mogul was released on bail in April last year after more than seven months in detention.

He says three other bail requests were denied during that time, but the fourth was granted by the Tokyo District Court, which set a bond of 200 million yen ($1.2 million).

Kadokawa filed a civil lawsuit on Thursday against the government for illegal detention and interrogation.

The suit "is not related to my Tokyo Olympics case, but about the inhumane treatment I experienced at the detention centre," he told reporters on Thursday.

Prosecutors may also interrogate a detainee without a lawyer during the 23-day period.

Kadokawa contrasted his case with that of Japanese baseball star Shohei Ohtani's ex-interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, who has pleaded guilty in the United States to stealing nearly $17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers player.

Mizuhara "led a regular life while facing trial, while in Japan, a trial system worthy of the European Middle Ages is left untouched", Kadokawa said.

He alleges that during his detention, he was repeatedly told by prosecutors that he would not be released until he admitted wrongdoing and that he was treated rudely and harshly to pressure him into making a confession.

Kadokawa also plans to file a complaint with the UN Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) on Thursday.

"We will argue that this hostage justice situation violates various human rights and violates international laws of human rights," Kadokawa's lawyer Hiroaki Murayama said.

kh/kaf/dhw

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