January 2007 Archives
Sayama Case Petition – help us collect one million signatures!
One thousand people from all over the country gathered at the Japan Education Center in Tokyo on October 31, 2006 for a rally hosted by the Citizen’s Support Group for the Sayama Case. A powerful keynote address was delivered by Toru Matsuoka, Secretary-General of the Buraku Liberation League, urging participants to help reach the goal of collecting one million signatures by March 1, 2007 for a petition demanding the retrial and reinvestigation of the Sayama Case.
Kazuo and Sachiko Ishikawa stood in front of the crowd and vowed to place all their might into
winning the third appeal and demanding justice. This is their last chance to appeal for a
retrial.
Kazuo Ishikawa receives 18th Tada Human Rights Award
On December 16, 2006, Japan’s Yoko Tada Foundation for Human Rights awarded Kazuo Ishikawa the 18th Tada Human Rights Prize for his work in the fighting miscarriage of justice.
“We have great respect for Mr. Ishikawa in his 43-year battle,” the award committee said, “We want to show our solidarity with him, in hopes that he will win his third appeal for the retrial and reinvestigation of the Sayama Case and that the false charges against him are dropped.”
The Tada Human Rights Award commemorates the life of Yoko Tada, a human rights lawyer who was involved in numerous high profile campaigns in Japan until her death, at the age of 29, in 1989. Past recipients include SUH Sung for his work promoting democracy in South Korea and Michelle Pierre-Louis for her work with women's health issues in Haiti.
