The six North Korean-born offspring of Red Army Faction fugitives who came to Japan in January have filed a damages suit, claiming the body searches they underwent upon arrival at Narita airport and seizure of their possessions were illegal.
The two sons and four daughters, in their late teens and early 20s, are seeking a combined 8.4 million yen in compensation. Those named in the suit as defendants are the national government, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the judge who issued the search warrant and the police who made the searches, the children and their lawyers said Sunday.
According to the suit filed with the Tokyo District Court, police presented a search and seizure warrant and conducted body searches on the six and their agent, Yukio Yamanaka, on Jan. 13 when they arrived at Narita from North Korea via Beijing.
They said police confiscated their belongings, including photos and documents.
The six are children of Japanese Red Army Faction members who hijacked a Japan Airlines domestic flight in 1970 that eventually ended up in Pyongyang.
While the search warrant was based on charges that included robbery resulting in injuries during the 1970 hijacking, the offspring claim that since they were not yet born at that time, it is clear they had nothing to do with the hijacking.
A Japanese lawyer who accompanied the six and Yamanaka on the trip has filed a separate suit for 6 million yen in compensation, claiming the body search she underwent was illegal and her work has been affected because police seized her schedule book and documents.