| Court Rejects Suit By Japan's Ex-Vice Defence Chief |
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SAPPORO, Nov 19 (Bernama) -- The Sapporo District Court on Monday turned down a lawsuit filed by 33 people from Hokkaido, including a former parliamentary vice minister of the Defence Agency who died last year, challenging the government's deployment of Japanese defense troops in Iraq as unconstitutional, Kyodo news agency reported.
The group, including the late Noboru Minowa, a former ruling party lawmaker who also served as postal minister, was seeking termination by the government of the Iraqi mission and compensation of 10,000 yen per person for causing anguish.
They argued that their wish to lead a peaceful life was frustrated as the mission has increased the chances of Japanese being targeted by terrorists.
Presiding Judge Mitsuhiro Takeda said, "It cannot be said evidently the plaintiffs will necessarily face a specific, realistic danger of being subject to terrorism," although "the plaintiffs' sentiments including anxiety and aversion should not be neglected."
Minowa filed the lawsuit in January 2004, just before the first contingent of Ground Self-Defence Force troops arrived in Iraq to provide reconstruction support after the U.S. invasion. In March 2005, university professors and former lawmakers joined Minowa in the suit.
Minowa passed away last year. His family members took over the suit on his behalf.
Similar lawsuits have been filed in district courts in 10 other regions, with plaintiffs losing most of the cases, said lawyers representing the plaintiffs.
According to the lawsuit, the deployment of a heavily equipped SDF contingent to Iraq violates the war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution and the Self-Defence Forces Law.
Japan withdrew ground troops from Iraq in July last year but still provides airlift support for multinational forces in Iraq through an Air Self-Defence Force unit based in Kuwait.
-- BERNAMA
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