A crowdfunding campaign for litigation costs has launched on CALL4 starting March 26, in support of the [Ohkawara Kakohki Case] Lawsuit Seeking Judges' Liability for Hostage Justice — the 9th case supported by LEDGE.

The Ohkawara Kakohki case is widely regarded as one of the most prominent cases of wrongful prosecution in recent years. Shizuo Aishima was wrongfully arrested and detained in connection with the case. His repeated requests for bail were denied, and he passed away at 72 from cancer in February 2021 while still subject to a detention order.

Next month, his family is set to file suit against the state, alleging that the decisions made by 37 judges involved in issuing arrest and detention warrants, as well as denying bail requests, were unlawful.

Japan's so-called "hostage justice" system — whereby suspects and defendants are held in prolonged detention, stripped of their freedoms and dignity, in order to coerce cooperation with investigators — has drawn widespread criticism both domestically and internationally.

Through the lens of Mr. Aishima's case, this lawsuit seeks to hold the judiciary accountable for its role in perpetuating "hostage justice," and to put an end to the pervasive human rights violations carried out by the courts.

We humbly ask for your support.

[Ohkawara Kakohki Case] Lawsuit Seeking Judges' Liability for Hostage Justice

In the Ohkawara Kakohki Case, Mr. Shizuo Aishima, a former company advisor, was wrongfully arrested and detained for nearly eleven months — never granted bail, his detention never lifted — and passed away while still in custody.

The unlawfulness of the investigation was later acknowledged, yet the judges who issued the arrest and detention warrants and repeatedly denied bail have never been held to account. This lawsuit challenges the decisions of 37 judges involved, with the goal of restoring the rule of law to Japan’s criminal justice system and ending the practice of “hostage justice.”