Japan Human Rights
Human Rights Concerns
Elections in September increased the majority of the ruling party. The deployment of Japanese troops as overseas peacekeepers renewed public debate on whether to revise Article 9 of the Constitution which defines Japan as pacifist.
In November, the former President of Peru, Alberto Fujimori, left Japan for Chile where he was arrested at the request of the Peruvian authorities, pending an extradition request.
The 60th anniversary of the end of World War II, and renewed efforts by the government to secure a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, increased tensions in the east Asia region. The government was criticized for its continued failure to apologize adequately and provide full reparations for wartime crimes against humanity such as forced sexual slavery, and for the way Japanese history textbooks portray its past aggressions.
The Diet (parliament) debated but did not adopt a Bill first submitted in 2003 to establish a national human rights commission.
The government indicated that it would accede to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court by 2009.
Latest News
USA: Amnesty International Urges Obama to Not Ignore Human Rights During his Meeting with ASEAN LeadersNovember 12, 2009
Japan: Stop the Execution of Mentally Ill Prisoners, Amnesty International Urgers Government of Japan in New Report
September 10, 2009
Japan: Stop the execution of mentally ill prisoners
September 10, 2009
Japan:Pressure Mounts as Time is Running Out for Justice for 'Comfort Women'
August 14, 2009
Japan: More executions in Japan as other countries reject the death penalty
July 31, 2009
Japan: Commits to ending impunity for enforced disappearances
July 28, 2009
Latest Reports
Japan: Still Waiting for Justice!November 03, 2008
Japan: Hakamada Iwao [Global letter-writing marathon 2008]
October 29, 2008
Japan: Open Letter to Prof. Dr. Hans-Gert Pöttering, President of the European Parliament
November 14, 2007
Death Penalty Survivors Testimonies
November 01, 2007
