mytest
Hi Blog. It’s taken nearly a year, but the Suraj Case has finally been sent to prosecutors, for what it’s worth. Somebody dies in your custody and you can’t determine the cause of death? Joudan ja nai. Let’s see if anyone is held accountable. (Suraj’s wife certainly was — she was fired from her job for making a fuss about her husband’s death!) More on the Suraj Case at Debito.org here. Arudou Debito
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Japan Times Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2010
Prosecutors get case of deportee’s death
By MINORU MATSUTANI Staff writer
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20101229a3.html
Chiba police have turned over to prosecutors their case against 10 immigration officers suspected of being involved in the death of a Ghanaian deportee they had restrained and physically placed aboard a jetliner last March at Narita International Airport.
The action Monday came six months after the man’s Japanese widow and her lawyers filed a criminal complaint demanding that prosecutors take action against the airport immigration officers who overpowered Abubakar Awudu Suraj to get him on the jet, where he subsequently died of unknown causes while handcuffed in his seat.
The police turned their case against the 10 men, aged 24 to 48, who are still working, over to the Chiba District Public Prosecutor’s Office. They could face charges of violence and cruelty by special public officers resulting in death, a Chiba police officer said.
“This has taken way too long,” lawyer Koichi Kodama, who is representing Suraj’s widow, said Tuesday. “I just hope prosecutors handle the case appropriately.”
An official of the Immigration Bureau’s Immigration Control Division, to which the 10 officers belong, said, “We will continue to cooperate in the investigation, try to find out the truth and take appropriate action.”
Mayumi Yoshida, assistant general secretary of Asian People’s Friendship Society and a supporter of the widow, had quoted a Chiba police officer as saying the immigration officers carried Suraj, who was acting violently, aboard an Egypt Air jet on March 22. Handcuffed and his mouth covered with a towel, Suraj was found unconscious in the aircraft and confirmed dead at a hospital, Yoshida had quoted the officer as saying.
The police were unable to pinpoint the cause of death…
Rest of article at http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20101229a3.html
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Domestic articles:
送還のガーナ人死亡、入管職員１０人書類送検
（2010年12月28日11時35分 読売新聞）
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/national/news/20101228-OYT1T00303.htm
成田空港で今年３月、不法滞在で強制送還されることになったガーナ国籍の男性（当時４５歳）が出発直前の航空機内で動かなくなり、搬送先の病院で死亡した問題で、千葉県警が、送還にかかわった東京入国管理局の職員１０人を特別公務員暴行陵虐致死容疑で千葉地検に書類送検したことが２８日、分かった。
県警によると、書類送検されたのは、２４～４８歳の男性職員。３月２２日、男性を収容先の東京入管横浜支局から成田空港へ護送し、カイロ行きの航空機に乗せる際、暴れた男性を取り押さえるなどしたことで死亡させた疑いが持たれている。司法解剖の結果、死因は不明だった。
男性の妻が６月、男性が死亡したのは、職員がタオルでさるぐつわをするなどしたため窒息死した可能性が高く、特別公務員職権乱用等致死の疑いがあるとして千葉地検に告訴していた。
県警は書類送検について「告訴案件で、刑事手続きの一環」としている。東京入国管理局成田空港支局は「引き続き捜査には協力する」とコメントしている。
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入管警備官１０人書類送検 強制送還のガーナ人死亡
2010/12/28 11:56 【共同通信】
http://www.47news.jp/CN/201012/CN2010122801000293.html
成田空港から強制送還中のガーナ人男性、アブバカル・アウデゥ・スラジュさん＝当時（４５）＝が３月、航空機内で東京入国管理局の警備官に取り押さえられた後に死亡した問題で、千葉県警は２８日までに、特別公務員暴行陵虐致死容疑で警備官１０人を書類送検した。
送検容疑は３月２２日午後、成田発カイロ行きの航空機にスラジュさんを搭乗させた際、強制送還を拒否して暴れたため数人で制圧、死亡させた疑い。
県警によると、当時の司法解剖で外傷や骨折、内臓疾患などは見つからず、死因は不明だった。
スラジュさんの日本人妻（４９）が６月、特別公務員職権乱用致死容疑で千葉地検に告訴した。
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成田で強制送還中にガーナ人男性急死で、取り押さえた入管職員１０人を書類送検
産経ニュース 2010.12.28 11:17
http://sankei.jp.msn.com/affairs/crime/101228/crm1012281120006-n1.htm
成田空港で３月、不法滞在により強制送還中だったガーナ国籍の男性＝当時（４５）＝が、入管職員に取り押さえられた直後に急死した問題で、千葉県警は特別公務員暴行陵虐致死の疑いで、護送にかかわった東京入国管理局の２４～４８歳の男性入国警備官計１０人を千葉地検に書類送検した。
男性の日本人の妻（４９）が６月、特別公務員職権乱用等致死の疑いで、氏名不詳のまま千葉地検に告訴していた。
送検容疑は３月２２日午後、護送中に成田空港から航空機に搭乗させる際、男性が暴れたため、警備官ら数人で体を押さえるなどし、同日午後３時半ごろに死亡させたとしている。
県警によると、司法解剖の結果、目立った外傷や骨折、内臓疾患なども見つからず、死因は不明だった。県警は「暴行と死亡の因果関係についてコメントは差し控える」としている。
関係者によると、男性が護送中に暴れたため、入管職員が手錠とタオルを使って機内に搭乗させた後に意識を失い、搬送先の病院で死亡が確認されたという。
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ガーナ人の強制送還中死亡、入管職員１０人を書類送検
朝日新聞 2010年12月28日11時13分
http://www.asahi.com/national/update/1228/TKY201012280141.html
ガーナ国籍のアブバカル・アウドゥ・スラジュさん（当時４５）が今年３月、成田空港から強制送還される際、搭乗した機内で死亡した問題で、千葉県警が護送にかかわった東京入国管理局の男性入国警備官１０人を、特別公務員暴行陵虐致死容疑で千葉地検に書類送検していたことが、捜査関係者への取材でわかった。
県警によると、警備官らは３月２２日午後、スラジュさんを強制送還させるため、収容先の東京入国管理局横浜支局から護送し、成田空港でカイロ行きの航空機に搭乗させる際、スラジュさんが暴れたため、数人で体を押さえるなどして死亡させた疑いがある。
スラジュさんの妻が６月、千葉地検に告訴していた。
県警は「制圧と死亡との因果関係ははっきりしない」としており、書類送検については「告訴案件であり、刑事手続きの一環だ」と説明している。東京入国管理局は「今後も捜査に協力し、事実解明に努めるとともに、安全な護送業務を実施したい」と話している。
ends
8 comments on “Japan Times et.al: Suraj Case of death during deportation sent to prosecutors”
I foresee suspended sentences being handed down. I sure hope that I’m wrong though.
From The Economist: http://www.economist.com/blogs/asiaview/2010/12/japanese_law_enforcement
A suspicious death
Dec 31st 2010, 7:03 by K.C. | TOKYO
LAST March a Ghanaian who had lived illegally for years in Japan, Abubakar Awudu Suraj, died in police custody at Tokyo’s Narita airport during his deportation. An immigration official expressed regret to his Japanese widow—but the ministry dragged its feet in investigating the incident. Two official autopsies failed to determine a cause of death. Exasperated, Mr Suraj’s widow filed a complaint in June to learn what happened that day, and see justice done.
At last the gears are starting to move. On December 28th the police in Chiba, the region outside Tokyo that is home to Narita airport, presented a report to prosecutors documenting the case against ten immigration control officers who were involved in the botched deportation. Although they are reported to have continued working as normal since Mr Suraj’s death, they could face charges of violence and cruelty resulting in death, a Chiba police officer told the Japan Times. (The English-language newspaper has published strong coverage of the case, in stark contrast with the Japanese press, which has largely ignored it.)
The incident makes for an unflattering emblem of Japan’s controversial immigration policies. The country restricts immigration, on the view that it could undermine traditional Japanese society and mores. Foreigners are blamed for many of modern Japan’s ills, from street crime to drugs. Meanwhile, Japan’s deportations have long been criticised by rights groups for their excessive use of force. Gagging individuals to restrain them is said to be a common practice. Apparently this is just what happened to Mr Suraj.
It took a dubiously long while for the police to conclude their investigation. Now it is up to the prosecutors to act. May they do so expeditiously, that justice delayed might not be justice denied.
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Yeah this was all over the news earlier. My wife suspected that Debito was involved to help push the case. If you was, thats great, because this smells of a serious cover up. Stuffing a towel into somebodys mouth, they suffocate, then cause of death is unknown? This is evidence of a barbaric institution if this is true. If the truth shows they tried to cover this up, thats some serious shit. Some “japan can do no wrong” types were saying, oh, the dude was a drug mule and died from a burst. I dont think so. Where is CNN on this one?
— Different dude.
Ive got a good idea about what happened. I was once put in a chokehold and excessive force used. Its like some Japanese cant control themselves due to some goofy sterotype and use this to justify what they do. My imagination tells me that several of them held him down, using a an arm lock and they mistook his cries for air as resistance and clamped down more. He passed out, the idiots thinking he was asleep. May he rest in peace. I hope justice is served.
Also, those of us who were in the military/law enforcement know when/how to use deadly force. Its reserved for those about to harm others with a weapon. An unarmed man, on an airplane, handcuffed and shackled, subdued by 10 men, is not the scenario requiring deadly force. This reeks of gross incompetence and stupidity. The long delay tatic is a good indicator of a cover up. The crime commited, if any, by the victim is irrelevant here because the accused was killed. [hyperbole deleted]
..I am starting to seriously reconsider my planned trip to Japan. The more I read about the government and their policies, the blatant anti-foreigner propaganda… well.. I’m just in shock. As people who currently live in Japan, are things really this bad here? Should I reconsider coming to this country?
It just seems that there is absolutely no regard for human (or animal) rights, the police appear to be grossly corrupt and any oposition to goverment action is rapidly and often brutally silenced. I know that the media only publish things they deem newsworthy, those that will make an impact on the reader.. but there appears to be a grossly disproportionate volume of such instances as described in the above article compared to other nations. Am I way off here or should I be cancelling my tickets? As puny as my tourist dollar is, I don’t want to give it to a nation that does things like this as a matter of course.
— Don’t just take our word for it. Come over here and see for yourself.
Don’t break any laws, dont piss of cops or Yakuza, and you’ll be fine. In my experience, being white helps. There is stuff worth seeing and doing here, that said;
Your tourist dollars will go further in China, India or South East Asia. Come here, and you’ll be paying Europe prices unwarranted in a crumbling economy to see a lot of which you could see on the mainland.
“I am starting to seriously reconsider my planned trip to Japan.”
My advice to anybody considering coming to Japan:
1) Come as a tourist, see the sites in Nara etc. Ride the train. Do all those things you dream of or read about. Get your freak on, like some do, in Akihabara or Harajuku. Get your bang on in Roppongi. Buy whatever gadget you want. Take them pictures…and all that.
2) Leave
[more hyperbole deleted]