Latest news with #InternationalCovenantsonHumanRights
The Mainichi
14 hours ago
- Politics
- The Mainichi
Japan court awards asylum seekers damages over prolonged detention
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A Japanese district court has ordered the state to pay a total of 1.2 million yen ($8,260) in compensation to two asylum seekers, ruling that in some cases their repeated detentions by the country's immigration agency did not take account of their physical and mental conditions. Deniz, a Kurdish man in his 40s with Turkish nationality, and Heydar Safari Diman, an Iranian national in his 50s, sought about 30 million yen in damages, after they were detained and released several times over the space of more than a decade. They filed the lawsuit with the Tokyo District Court in 2022 focusing on their treatment from 2016. The ruling handed down on Tuesday said that on some occasions, they were detained despite deteriorating health conditions, such as a diagnosis of depression. "We cannot say the necessity of detention overrode their physical and mental disadvantages," the court said, ruling that some of their detentions violated the International Covenants on Human Rights and amounted to unjust physical restraint prohibited by Japan's immigration law. The plaintiffs also questioned the immigration law itself, which allows detention without going through a review process such as trials, saying that it infringes the human rights covenants. But the court dismissed their claim on the grounds that their rights to a trial are guaranteed through a lawsuit seeking release. Masako Suzuki, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs, underscored the significance of the ruling, telling a press conference that it "clearly acknowledges that there was a violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights in the detention." The Immigration Services Agency has said it will respond "appropriately" after reviewing details of the ruling, since some of its claims were not upheld. According to the complaint, Deniz, who declined to give his surname for fear of retaliation against his family in Turkey, and Safari Diman had both overstayed their visas and were subsequently repeatedly detained by the Immigration Services Agency. From 2016 to 2020, they were detained several times for a total of more than three and a half years each, the complaint said. They have been on provisional releases since the spring of 2020, according to their supporters. Seeking help from the international community, the two had notified a U.N. expert panel on arbitrary detention of their cases, leading the panel to release an opinion in 2020 that found their deprivation of liberty was "arbitrary" and contravened human rights covenants.
Japan Today
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Japan Today
Court awards 2 asylum seekers damages over prolonged detention
A Japanese district court has ordered the state to pay a total of 1.2 million yen in compensation to two asylum seekers, ruling that in some cases their repeated detentions by the country's immigration agency did not take account of their physical and mental conditions. Deniz, a Kurdish man in his 40s with Turkish nationality, and Heydar Safari Diman, an Iranian national in his 50s, sought about 30 million yen in damages, after they were detained and released several times over the space of more than a decade. They filed the lawsuit with the Tokyo District Court in 2022 focusing on their treatment from 2016. The ruling handed down on Tuesday said that on some occasions, they were detained despite deteriorating health conditions, such as a diagnosis of depression. "We cannot say the necessity of detention overrode their physical and mental disadvantages," the court said, ruling that some of their detentions violated the International Covenants on Human Rights and amounted to unjust physical restraint prohibited by Japan's immigration law. The plaintiffs also questioned the immigration law itself, which allows detention without going through a review process such as trials, saying that it infringes the human rights covenants. But the court dismissed their claim on the grounds that their rights to a trial are guaranteed through a lawsuit seeking release. Masako Suzuki, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs, underscored the significance of the ruling, telling a press conference that it "clearly acknowledges that there was a violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights in the detention." The Immigration Services Agency has said it will respond "appropriately" after reviewing details of the ruling, since some of its claims were not upheld. According to the complaint, Deniz, who declined to give his surname for fear of retaliation against his family in Turkey, and Safari Diman had both overstayed their visas and were subsequently repeatedly detained by the Immigration Services Agency. From 2016 to 2020, they were detained several times for a total of more than three and a half years each, the complaint said. They have been on provisional releases since the spring of 2020, according to their supporters. Seeking help from the international community, the two had notified a U.N. expert panel on arbitrary detention of their cases, leading the panel to release an opinion in 2020 that found their deprivation of liberty was "arbitrary" and contravened human rights covenants. © KYODO
Kyodo News
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Kyodo News
Japan court awards asylum seekers damages over prolonged detention
KYODO NEWS - 7 hours ago - 20:13 | All, Japan A Japanese district court has ordered the state to pay a total of 1.2 million yen ($8,260) in compensation to two asylum seekers, ruling that in some cases their repeated detentions by the country's immigration agency did not take account of their physical and mental conditions. Deniz, a Kurdish man in his 40s with Turkish nationality, and Heydar Safari Diman, an Iranian national in his 50s, sought about 30 million yen in damages, after they were detained and released several times over the space of more than a decade. They filed the lawsuit with the Tokyo District Court in 2022 focusing on their treatment from 2016. The ruling handed down on Tuesday said that on some occasions, they were detained despite deteriorating health conditions, such as a diagnosis of depression. "We cannot say the necessity of detention overrode their physical and mental disadvantages," the court said, ruling that some of their detentions violated the International Covenants on Human Rights and amounted to unjust physical restraint prohibited by Japan's immigration law. The plaintiffs also questioned the immigration law itself, which allows detention without going through a review process such as trials, saying that it infringes the human rights covenants. But the court dismissed their claim on the grounds that their rights to a trial are guaranteed through a lawsuit seeking release. Masako Suzuki, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs, underscored the significance of the ruling, telling a press conference that it "clearly acknowledges that there was a violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights in the detention." The Immigration Services Agency has said it will respond "appropriately" after reviewing details of the ruling, since some of its claims were not upheld. According to the complaint, Deniz, who declined to give his surname for fear of retaliation against his family in Turkey, and Safari Diman had both overstayed their visas and were subsequently repeatedly detained by the Immigration Services Agency. From 2016 to 2020, they were detained several times for a total of more than three and a half years each, the complaint said. They have been on provisional releases since the spring of 2020, according to their supporters. Seeking help from the international community, the two had notified a U.N. expert panel on arbitrary detention of their cases, leading the panel to release an opinion in 2020 that found their deprivation of liberty was "arbitrary" and contravened human rights covenants. Related coverage: FEATURE: Hate speech bringing unwanted focus on Japan's Kurdish community FOCUS: Female Afghan refugees facing legal limbo, deportation in Pakistan No. of foreign residents in Japan hits record high for 3rd year
Kyodo News
a day ago
- Politics
- Kyodo News
Japan court awards asylum seekers damages over prolonged detention
KYODO NEWS - 4 minutes ago - 20:13 | All, Japan A Japanese district court has ordered the state to pay a total of 1.2 million yen ($8,260) in compensation to two asylum seekers, ruling that in some cases their repeated detentions by the country's immigration agency did not take account of their physical and mental conditions. Deniz, a Kurdish man in his 40s with Turkish nationality, and Heydar Safari Diman, an Iranian national in his 50s, sought about 30 million yen in damages, after they were detained and released several times over the space of more than a decade. They filed the lawsuit with the Tokyo District Court in 2022 focusing on their treatment from 2016. The ruling handed down on Tuesday said that on some occasions, they were detained despite deteriorating health conditions, such as a diagnosis of depression. "We cannot say the necessity of detention overrode their physical and mental disadvantages," the court said, ruling that some of their detentions violated the International Covenants on Human Rights and amounted to unjust physical restraint prohibited by Japan's immigration law. The plaintiffs also questioned the immigration law itself, which allows detention without going through a review process such as trials, saying that it infringes the human rights covenants. But the court dismissed their claim on the grounds that their rights to a trial are guaranteed through a lawsuit seeking release. Masako Suzuki, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs, underscored the significance of the ruling, telling a press conference that it "clearly acknowledges that there was a violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights in the detention." The Immigration Services Agency has said it will respond "appropriately" after reviewing details of the ruling, since some of its claims were not upheld. According to the complaint, Deniz, who declined to give his surname for fear of retaliation against his family in Turkey, and Safari Diman had both overstayed their visas and were subsequently repeatedly detained by the Immigration Services Agency. From 2016 to 2020, they were detained several times for a total of more than three and a half years each, the complaint said. They have been on provisional releases since the spring of 2020, according to their supporters. Seeking help from the international community, the two had notified a U.N. expert panel on arbitrary detention of their cases, leading the panel to release an opinion in 2020 that found their deprivation of liberty was "arbitrary" and contravened human rights covenants. Related coverage: FEATURE: Hate speech bringing unwanted focus on Japan's Kurdish community FOCUS: Female Afghan refugees facing legal limbo, deportation in Pakistan No. of foreign residents in Japan hits record high for 3rd year
Asahi Shimbun
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
Executions around the world up 32% in 2024, says Amnesty
At least 1,518 executions were carried out worldwide in 2024, up 32 percent from the year before, according to Amnesty International. The human rights group said Iran, Saudi Arabia and Iraq put more people to death than ever last year. The number of countries that reported carrying out executions stood at 15, a record low, it added. The group's April 8 report also touched upon the high-profile case of Iwao Hakamata, a former death row inmate in Japan who was exonerated in a retrial last year after serving 48 years in prison. The annual document listed China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Yemen as the countries that carried out the most executions. It described China as 'the world's lead executioner.' Figures for China, North Korea and Vietnam were estimates because they do not disclose death penalty statistics. Only two confirmed executions from these countries were included in the 2024 report. Based on the known figures, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Iraq accounted for 91 percent of all executions around the world. Drug-related offences accounted for 42 percent of capital punishment cases. China, Iran and Saudi Arabia put more people to death than other countries for drug trafficking and drug use. Amnesty, noting that the International Covenants on Human Rights stipulates the death sentence should be imposed only for the 'most serious crimes,' took issue with those countries for using the death penalty in drug cases. It said they were 'violating international law.' It also condemned countries, including Japan, for handing the death sentence to people suffering from mental or intellectual disabilities, which it called a violation of international law. WORLD WITNESSED HAKAMATA'S VICTORY The number of countries that still carry out executions stood at 15, down one from 2023 and the lowest on record, according to Amnesty International. Armed conflict made it impossible to maintain records for Palestine, which is believed to execute people on a continual basis. According to the report, 145 countries, or three-quarters of all countries and territories, had fully or virtually abolished the death penalty by the end of 2024. Japan, which keeps capital punishment on its books while the government maintains it has overwhelming 'public support' for the practice, has not carried out a hanging since July 2022. This marks the longest hiatus since the Justice Ministry in 2007 began publicly releasing the names and other details of those executed. Referring to Hakamata as 'the world's longest-serving person on death row,' the report emphasized that prosecutors repeatedly filed motions against a retrial, which meant it took 'close to 10 years' for the process to begin. The report lambasted Japan for 'still seeking the death penalty as a possible punishment' during the retrial. Amnesty International, referring to the street across Japan calling for Hakamata's release, said 'the world witnessed the power of campaigning' when Hakamata was acquitted after a retrial in 2024. 'It is evident that the states that retain the death penalty are an isolated minority,' said Agnes Callamard, secretary-general of Amnesty International. 'This signals a move away from this cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.'
