We held negotiations with the Ministry of Justice regarding the death of Mr. Abubagar Awudu Suraj.

On March 22, ABUBAKAR AWUDU SURAJ (Ghanaian national) was being deported at government expense.
He died on board the aircraft.

Regarding this incident, family members, friends, and APFS representative Jotaro Kato, along with two others, were present.
We held negotiations with the Immigration Bureau of the Ministry of Justice on June 11th.
These negotiations were made possible with the support of the office of House of Representatives member Ryoichi Hattori.
Five representatives from the Immigration Bureau of the Ministry of Justice, including Chief of the Judicial Affairs Division Ishioka, attended the meeting.

APFS and the bereaved families made the following three requests:
1. Please reveal the truth behind the death of Mr. Abubagar Awudu Suraj.
2. Please approve the expenses incurred by family members or others accompanying the body of Mr. Abubagar Awudu Suraj during its repatriation.
3. Please explain why a retrial was not initiated for Mr. Abubagar Awudu Suraj.

Regarding point 1,
- Ten people were involved in the escort of Mr. SURAJ at Narita Airport.
- The towel used to restrain the person belonged to an immigration officer.
This has become clear.

The Immigration Bureau of the Ministry of Justice,
"We are cooperating with the police investigation, so we cannot comment on the case."
I repeated the same words as before.
When we presented the information we had, the above became clear.
That was the situation.

The family members said, "We just want to know how Mr. SURAJ met his end."
That's what they were saying.
Nevertheless, the Immigration Bureau of the Ministry of Justice showed no progress whatsoever in its response.

In order to uncover the truth of the incident, we will examine the events on the day of the incident and the events that followed.
The bereaved family and APFS requested a written response.
The Immigration Bureau of the Ministry of Justice promised to "consider" the matter.

Regarding point 2,
They responded that they would only cover the costs of handling the body and transporting it to Ghana.
Furthermore, they stated that expenses for family members to accompany their loved one to Ghana would not be covered.
To ensure that the body was delivered safely, it is permissible for the bereaved family to accompany the body and confirm its safety.
This can be considered a right of the bereaved family.
The bereaved family and APFS are not satisfied with the above response.
We have requested the Immigration Bureau of the Ministry of Justice to reconsider the matter.

Regarding point 3,
Based on the High Court's judgment (plaintiff lost),
The Ministry of Justice's Immigration Bureau stated that it did not initiate a retrial.

Most of the truth remains undisclosed.
The bereaved family and APFS will continue to work together to uncover the truth.