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All 9 A-bomb survivors win suit calling for their illnesses to be certified as caused by A-bomb radiation

The Osaka District Court on May 12 supported nine atomic bomb survivors' claim that the state's refusal to certify that their illnesses were caused by atomic bomb radiation should be revoked.

The ruling was the first in a series of similar lawsuits.

The plaintiffs who won this victorious ruling include Hibakusha who were denied government recognition as having A-bomb radiation-related illnesses on the grounds that their exposure to radiation was 3.3 kilometers away from ground zero or that exposure to radiation took place after entering the city in the wake of the A-bombing.

The presiding judge also raised the issue of the government underestimating the dose of radiation in areas 1.3-1.5 kilometers from the hypocenter and criticized the government procedure of automatically applying this formula to Hibakusha. He also pointed out that Hibakusha may have inhaled or eaten radioactive materials causing internal radiation and ensuing disorder.

The judge said, "The government standards for certification are criteria for consideration, but a decision should be taken based on a comprehensive understanding of the patient's symptoms and living conditions."

The plaintiffs' lawyers hailed the ruling as an "epochal" judgment. The judgment will greatly encourage the movement demanding Hibakusha's illnesses be certified as A-bomb-related.

Behind the government reluctance to promote relief of Hibakusha is its nuclear weapons policy of trying to make damage from A-bombing look as small as possible.

Saeki Toshiaki, 72, whose larynx cancer has deprived him of his voice, wrote down, "I ask the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry to take the ruling seriously."

It is necessary for the government to drastically review the standards for recognizing the A-bomb disease and relieve all Hibakusha.

The collective lawsuits have been filed at 12 other district courts.
- Akahata, May 13, 2006