Meeting point: Jungu Dori Park
(next to Miyashita Park, 10 minutes’ walk from east exit of Shibuya station)
Participants: About 70 (Ghanaian, Japanese, American, Pakistani, Iranian, etc.)
ABUBAKAR AWUDU SURAJ, a Ghanaian man died in March, 2010.
As Suraj had overstayed his visa, a deportation order was given by immigration authorities. Despite the ongoing negotiation with lawyers and immigration authorities demanding continued life with his Japanese wife in home land Japan, the deportation was enforced by immigration authorities in secret to his wife. As a consequence Suraj died.
Nothing has been officially reported regarding causes of his death. The following scenario was clarified in the course of discussion with Ministry of Justice; Suraj was forced to embark into an airplane by immigration officers in handcuffs and gag with towel around his mouth, and he exhaustedly died.
At the end of last year the police have presented a report to prosecutors about 10 immigration officers who were involved in the incident.
The prosecutor in Chiba is in the process of judgment of indictment or not. An urgent and appropriate judgment is desired.
Demanding early indictment and making the SURAJ case publicly known, the march took place in Shibuya area
The march was successful with a good sign of passersby, since many of them actively received flyers handed over and some of them joined the march on a spot, and made donations.
Thanks to a friend of Suraj’s who led the march with a microphone this time, APFS will continuously make effort to clarify the fact of Suraj’s case in cooperation with his widow, friends and the legal team.
