Japan Press Weekly

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2013 July 10 - 16 [CIVIL RIGHTS]

Fukushima citizen protests confiscation of her sign questioning nuclear power policy

Lawyers made representations on July 9 to the Liberal Democratic Party’s headquarters and the National Police Agency about the incident in which some officials took away from a woman her signboard questioning the prime minister about his nuclear power policy.

On July 4, the day the Upper House election was announced, Prime Minister Abe Shinzo kicked off his campaign with a speech in front of Fukushima Station in Fukushima City. Among the audience there was a woman holding up a paper signboard.

This is a 40-year-old woman living in Fukushima Prefecture who wrote a sign that read “Prime Minister! Are you for or against decommissioning nuclear reactors?”

A man presenting himself as secretary of LDP Lower House member Kameoka Yoshitami and four other men who identified themselves as policemen surrounded the woman and forcibly took away her sign.

The lawyers demanded the return of the signboard, arguing that the confiscation blatantly tramples on the people’s right to freedom of expression.

Lawyer Azusawa Kazuyuki noted at a press conference in Tokyo that those men’s act violates not only the Constitution which guarantees freedom of expression but the Execution of Police Duties Law which sets requirements in regard to police questioning. “Freedom of expression should be particularly respected during election campaigns. We cannot tolerate such an action preventing voters from expressing their opinions,” he stressed.