Government defies Nagasaki court ruling in favor of Hibakusha

Japan Press Weekly

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Government defies Nagasaki court ruling in favor of Hibakusha

The Health, Labor, and Welfare Ministry on June 27 appealed the Nagasaki District Court decision which ordered the state to revoke its refusal to certify 20 plaintiffs as atomic bomb survivors (Hibakusha) suffering from illnesses caused by atomic bomb radiation exposure.

Ministry officials said that the government gives up fighting against 10 out of 20 plaintiffs because they have already been certified as Hibakusha with A-bomb related diseases under the revised standards for certification introduced in April.

Regarding the other 10 plaintiffs, Health Ministry officials said, “While the District Court has recognized their liver disorder and other diseases as caused by A-bomb radiation exposure, the new criteria do not designate them as diseases that are within the reach of the standards. The Nagasaki ruling differs from other district court decisions, so we decided to take the case to the high court.”

The plaintiffs’ leader Moriuchi Minoru said, “The Health Ministry’s decision makes me very angry. It seems that the government is stalling for time. Many of the plaintiffs are elderly. This decision tramples on our dignity.”

On June 27, the National Group of Plaintiffs in Hibakusha Lawsuits, and the group of lawyers issued a protest statement.

The Nagasaki District Court on June 23 ordered the state to revoke its refusal to certify that atomic bomb survivors (Hibakusha) are suffering from leukemia, cancer and various other illnesses due to exposure to radiation from the 1945 atomic bombing. - Akahata, June 28, 2008