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ZWC_yamada 
On March 31, 2014, the government appealed the previously handed down judgment in the national compensation lawsuit in the case of Ms. Suraj.
On March 19, 2014, the Tokyo District Court, in its ruling on the national compensation lawsuit in the case of Suraj, recognized the "illegality" of the actions of immigration officials against Suraj, and determined that Suraj "died from asphyxiation" as a result of these illegal restraints. This ruling was a groundbreaking decision that directly contradicted the views of the Chiba District Public Prosecutors Office, which had dismissed the immigration officials' charges, stating that Suraj's cause of death was heart disease, and the Ministry of Justice, which had maintained that the restraints by the immigration officials were lawful.
Suraj's wife, the support group APFS, and all the supporters who have been helping Suraj's case launched a petition after the district court ruling, urging the government to sincerely accept the decision and not appeal. The media also covered the ruling, calling it a judgment that raises questions about the way immigration administration is run. Members of parliament also paid attention to the problematic nature of the case, and some even urged the government not to appeal.
Ignoring this public opinion, the government decided to appeal. This ruling should have been an opportunity to fundamentally improve immigration administration. Instead, the government squandered that opportunity and appealed solely for the sake of national pride. Mrs. Suraj and her support group APFS strongly protest this appeal.
April 1, 2014
Suraj wife
ASIAN PEOPLE'S FRIENDSHIP SOCIETY (APFS)