Japan's top law enforcement officials apologized to the family of a businessman who was wrongfully arrested and died after a months-long detention.
Former consultant Shizuo Aishima of the machinery manufacturer Ohkawara Kakohki was one of three executives unlawfully detained for months in pretrial detention on later-dropped allegations.
The "hostage justice" practice in Japan, where investigators utilize protracted pretrial detentions to force confessions, has long been condemned by human rights activists.
On Monday, senior representatives from the Tokyo prosecutor's office, the Tokyo police, and the top public prosecutor's department paid a visit to Aishima's family and cemetery. According to the Japan Times, the officials prayed while kneeling in front of the tomb.
During a televised meeting with the family, Tokyo Metropolitan Police deputy superintendent-general Tetsuro Kamata remarked, "We sincerely apologize for conducting the illegal investigation and arrest."
According to Aishima's wife, "I accept the apology but I won't be able to forgive."
In March 2020, the three men were arrested and charged with unlawfully exporting spray dryers that might produce biological weapons, which they claimed were lawful.
Prosecutors maintained Aishima's custody despite his October 2020 advanced cancer diagnosis, claiming that his release could damage evidence. A month later, he was brought to the hospital.
His two coworkers were not allowed to see Aishima prior to his death in February 2021 since they were freed on the stipulation that they would not meet with him.
After the accusations were ultimately dropped, Aishima's family and coworkers sued the government.
According to the Japan Times, the corporation and others received a direct apology from Tokyo police and Tokyo prosecutors in June. Police stated that "it lacked fundamental investigative principles as an organization, and that the chain of command was dysfunctional," according to the outlet's report on the probe.
The Tokyo High Court determined that the indictment, arrests, and inquiry were unlawful and lacked proof.
Tsuyoshi Takada, the family's attorney, stated during a press conference that the men's incarceration, which had been approved multiple times in court, "was not the mistake of a single judge."
"We need to change the mistaken attitudes of all judges," he stated. "The court must learn from this and think about what they can do so that there won't be more victims of 'hostage justice' in the future."
According to the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, Aishima's oldest son expressed conflicting emotions about the apology and asked for a fresh look into the matter.
"I take them as a step forward, as they acknowledged the unlawfulness of the arrest, detention requests and prosecution," he stated. "I cannot accept the findings of your reviews and the disciplinary actions taken."
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