Former chairperson of media company sues Japanese govt over 'hostage justice' system

Former publishing mogul sues Japanese government over "hostage justice" detention system amid bribery allegations linked to Tokyo Olympics.

The former chairman of a major Japanese publishing house who was indicted over bribery allegations linked to the Tokyo Olympics sued the government on June 28 over its so-called "hostage justice" detention system.

"Hostage justice" - referring to suspects being held at length - became widely used term at the time of former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn's shock arrest and escape from Japan.

Suspects can be detained for up to 23 days per charge, re-arrests are common and bail requests are often denied under the Japanese system, which Human Rights Watch criticised in a report last year.

Tsuguhiko Kadokawa, the former chair of Kadokawa Corporation - the media conglomerate behind the hit video game "Elden Ring" - was arrested and indicted in 2022 on bribery charges.

Prosecutors accuse him of paying around 69 million yen ($434,000) to Haruyuki Takahashi, a former Tokyo Olympics board member in charge of selecting sponsors for the pandemic-postponed 2020 Games.

The 80-year-old publishing mogul was released on bail in April last year after more than seven months in detention.

He says three other bail requests were denied during that time, but the fourth was granted by the Tokyo District Court, which set a bond of 200 million yen ($1.2 million).