Leprosy lawsuit plaintiffs call on Prime Minister Koizumi not to appeal

Plaintiffs in the leprosy lawsuit, their lawyers and supporters from throughout Japan went to the Prime Minister's Official Residence on May 21, trying to meet the prime minister and ask him not to appeal the Kumamoto District Court ruling, but the gate was shut all day.

Later in the day, the plaintiffs and their lawyers group held an emergency meeting in Seiryo Kaikan Hall in Tokyo.

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi in a speech at the meeting expressed solidarity with the plaintiffs and related the JCP's determination to do its utmost to push the government to solve all the problems.

Ichida said that if the government appeals, it will mean that the government declares no responsibility for the policy of isolating leprosy patients and associated human rights violations. This will make it impossible to achieve an out-of-court settlement in favor of the victims, he said.

What the government must do, Ichida said, is to apologize for the isolation policy, restore the honor of all patients, compensate for all of their damages, and guarantee their living. (end)