Arrest of civil servant for distributing flyers is in violation of the Constitution: JCP Koike

In the House of Councilors Budget Committee meeting on March 9, Japanese Communist Party Policy Commission Chair Koike Akira protested against the arrest and indictment of a government employee on a charge of violating the National Public Service Law by distributing JCP flyers. "It is a direct challenge to democracy," he emphasized.

Showing the JCP newspaper Akahata's extra with headlines, "Article 9 of the Constitution is a treasure of the Japanese people," Koike explained that Horikoshi Akio, a Social Insurance Agency employee, was arrested just because he had distributed this flyer door to door. Koike demanded that the prosecutor drop the indictment.

"Both Japan's Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantee the freedom of speech, expression, thought, and conscience. Such an arrest must not be allowed in a democratic society," Koike stressed.

The JCP representative revealed that Public Management Minister Aso Taro, at a fund-raising party for an election campaign of a former official of the ministry last December said, "The ministry will do its utmost to achieve victory in the election." Koike stated that police should rather take action against such a minister who mobilizes employees in his ministry in a political campaign.

Koike also pointed out that many in the Liberal Democratic Party list for the House of Councilors proportional-representation election are former senior government officials. (end)