The first hearing was held on Monday, April 15th from 2:00 p.m. in Courtroom 103 of the Tokyo District Court.

More than 140 people lined up for the lottery to win spectator tickets, which were limited to 75 seats.
At the hearing, the head of the legal team, Taniguchi, gave an oral statement of the contents of the complaint. Using slides, he explained how frequent police questioning is a violation of the law, and how abusive police questioning of foreigners is practiced in Japan.

Plaintiffs Zane and Shelton then spoke powerfully in their own words about how being stopped and searched has hurt and upset them personally over the years.

After the hearing, a report session was held at the neighboring Bar Association building. On stage, Zain said, "I had some doubts, but I decided to become a plaintiff in the lawsuit, prepared to shoulder the hopes of many people. As the number of people who were born and raised in Japan from a young age, like me, increases, I want to change society so that they do not have to suffer the same troubles."

The next hearing will be on Tuesday, July 23rd from 14:00 in Courtroom 103. We hope that many of you will attend.

⳹ Please come and observe! ⳼

It has been decided that the first oral argument hearing in the " Lawsuit to End Racially Discriminatory Police Questioning " will take place tomorrow, Monday, April 15th .

This special trial session will take place in the Tokyo District Court's Main Courtroom, which can accommodate over 100 people, and will feature statements (court speeches) by the plaintiffs and their defense teams.
We invite everyone to attend the memorable first hearing of what may well go down in history.
Let's support the plaintiffs' courage together!!

After the hearing, there will also be a report session at the Bar Association building next to the District Court for approximately one hour starting at around 3:00 p.m.
There will be an explanation of the lawsuit by the legal team, a message from the plaintiffs, and time for questions and answers.

▶ First oral argument hearing for the "Stop Racist Police Stopping!" Lawsuit Date and time: Monday, April 15th, from 2pm (approximately 30 minutes)
Venue: Tokyo District Court No. 103 Grand Bench

Schedule:
Distribution of numbered tickets until 13:40 (If there are many applicants, a lottery will be held at 13:40)
14:00-14:30 First oral argument session at Tokyo District Court, Courtroom No. 103

▶Post-trial report session This will be held after the trial ends at 3pm in the Cleo Auditorium on the second floor of the Bar Association Building. Staff will guide you through the session after the hearing.

▶About the lawsuit

Three plaintiffs, who have been repeatedly subjected to racist police questioning, are suing the national government and Tokyo and Aichi prefectures, which have jurisdiction over the police, claiming that the current practice of racist police questioning violates the Constitution, international treaties, etc.
The press conference announcing the lawsuit on January 29th attracted so much attention that the news was published in over 100 media outlets in approximately 25 countries.

We sincerely thank you for your support in the Lawsuit to End Racially Discriminatory Police Questioning!

This week, on January 29th (Monday), we filed the lawsuit at the Tokyo District Court.

To our delight, the news has been featured in over 30 media outlets nationally and internationally, including NHK, Asahi Shimbun, Reuters, BBC, and more! We have received numerous additional interview requests, garnering attention beyond our expectations.

This lawsuit involves three plaintiffs who have repeatedly experienced racially discriminatory police questioning. They argue that the current police practice violates the constitution, international treaties, and various other legal standards. The defendants include the Japanese government, as well as the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Aichi Prefecture, which oversee the prefectural police departments.

One of the plaintiffs has undergone over 70 unwarranted police questioning incidents since he moved to Japan. As a result, he has resorted to a lifestyle of seclusion in his house, and he also gradually lost his smile. The plaintiffs have decided to speak out not only for themselves but also for those suffering from racial profiling including the children of foreign origins who will shape the future of society.

In a country already inhabited by a diverse population, it is crucial for the development of Japanese society to ensure that everyone can authentically be themselves without being targeted for unfair treatment. Urgent rule changes are needed, and we hope that this lawsuit will promote a nationwide discussion on racial profiling, bringing about changes in police practices.

We sincerely ask for your continued support.

＝＝＝＼Tomorrow Evening!／ Event Informartion ＝＝＝

PolitasTV “What is the Lawsuit to End Racially Discriminatory Police Questioning?” (Tentative)

Date & Time: February 1st (Thursday) 7pm-8pm

Guests: Motoki Taniguchi (Attorney), Michiko Kameishi (Attorney), Matthew (a plaintiff), Daisuke Tsuda (MC)

Anyone can watch the show for free: PolitasTV (YouTube)

＝＝＝＼Considerable Media Attention!／ Media Coverage ＝＝＝

•  The Associated Press, “A group of Japanese citizens launches a lawsuit against the police to stop alleged ‘racial profiling’”, 2024.1.29

• Reuters, “Foreign-born residents file suit in Japan over alleged racial profiling”, 2024.1.29

• The Japan Times, “Lawsuit filed in Tokyo over alleged racial profiling by police”, 2024.1.29

• Time, “Japan Police Accused of Racial Profiling”, 2024.1.30

• BBC, “Japan: Foreign-born residents sue government for alleged racial profiling”, 2024.1.30

  
  

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#STOPRacialProfiling

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