The Tokyo High Court upheld a lower court's decision Thursday, ordering the state to pay compensation to a former lawyer for emotional distress resulting from verbal abuse he suffered while under interrogation.
Presiding Judge Hidetaka Matsui upheld the Tokyo District Court ruling that the government should pay ¥1.1 million ($7,215) in damages to the former lawyer, Yamato Eguchi. However, the judge rejected Eguchi's claim in his appeal that it was illegal for the prosecutor conducting the interrogation to continue questioning him for about 56 hours despite the fact he had stated his intention to remain silent.
The district court ruled last July that Eguchi, 38, had his personal rights violated during the interrogation, in which the prosecutor called him derogatory words such as “brat,” and ordered the government to pay compensation to him. Eguchi had sought ¥11 million in damages for emotional distress.
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