US EditionPressed to Confess: Japan Accused of 'Hostage Justice'
JAPAN, JUL 7 – A lawsuit contests judges' unchecked power in Japan's criminal justice system, where prolonged detentions without attorneys contribute to a 99% conviction rate, critics say.
- Japan's criminal justice system faces criticism over lengthy pre-trial detention used to pressure suspects into confessing, highlighted by Yo Amano's six-year solitary confinement without conviction.
- The practice, known as "hostage justice," stems from Japan's reliance on confessions, with suspects often interrogated without attorneys and bail denied if they deny charges, leading to a 99-percent conviction rate.
- Tomoya Asanuma, a plaintiff in a recent lawsuit challenging this system, described frequent hours-long interrogations designed to elicit confessions, which courts then accept as evidence despite the Supreme Court ruling such interrogations inhumane.
- Judicial data from 2021 confirms suspects who confess gain quicker release than those who remain silent, while Yo Amano reported deteriorating mental health and loss of family and livelihood during his detention.
- The ongoing lawsuit challenges judges' authority to approve prolonged detention and deny bail without probable cause, signaling potential reforms amid international criticism of Japan's evidence-based yet harsh system.
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FOX 28 SpokaneReposted by 
The Straits Times
The Straits TimesPressed to confess: Japan accused of ‘hostage justice’
Yo Amano says he is unravelling in a cell where he has been confined alone almost 24 hours a day for over six years, despite not having been convicted of the fraud charges against him. In Japan's harsh criminal justice system, critics say innocence is not presumed and coerced confessions help drive the 99 percent
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Leaning Left4Leaning Right8Center13Last UpdatedBias Distribution52% Center
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C 52%
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