The Tokyo District Court on Friday revoked a Justice Ministry decision to deny a well-known Afghan man refugee status.

Ali Jane's case has received wide media attention because of his autobiography, "Kaasan Boku-wa Ikitemasu" ("Mother I'm Alive"), which tells of his hardships in Afghanistan, where he lived in fear of persecution from the Taliban, and problems after fleeing to Japan.

Presiding Judge Hiroyuki Kanno ruled Friday that the Justice Ministry's denial of Jane's request for asylum was illegal.