Japan: Suspects Denied Due Process and Fair Trials

This film tells the story of people that have gone through the criminal system in Japan and have been denied a fair process. They tell us their experience and the consequences. 

Japan’s system of “hostage justice” denies criminal suspects the rights to due process and a fair trial. The authorities strip suspects of their right to remain silent, question them without a lawyer, coerce them to confess through repeated arrests and denial of bail, and detain them for prolonged periods under constant surveillance in police stations. The Japanese government should urgently undertake wide-ranging reforms, including amending the criminal procedure code, to ensure detainees their fair trial rights and make investigators and prosecutors more accountable.