CALL4 Begins Support for Lawsuit Questioning Judicial Responsibility in the Okawara Kakoki Incident

CALL4 (Call for), Japan's first (※1) web platform specializing in public litigation support (operated by Certified Specified Non-Profit Organization CALL4, Co-Representative Directors: Taiki Taniguchi, Orie Maruyama), will begin supporting the lawsuit '【Okawara Kakoki Incident】Questioning the Responsibility of Judges' from March 26, 2026.

Shizuo Aijima, a former advisor who was unjustly arrested and detained in the Okawara Kakoki Incident, was deprived of his freedom for approximately 11 months and passed away without being granted bail. Although the illegality of the investigative authorities was later recognized, the ones responsible for issuing arrest warrants and detention orders to Mr. Aijima and continuously denying bail were the judges.

This lawsuit aims to restore the rule of law to Japan's criminal justice system and put an end to 'hostage justice' by questioning the legality of the decisions made by the 37 judges involved.

※1 As a 'web support platform specializing in public litigation support' in Japan, based on the company's own research including opinions from lawyers in September 2019.

Details of the Lawsuit

Shizuo Aijima, an executive of Okawara Kakoki Co., Ltd., was arrested for violating the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act, accused of exporting spray dryers (machines that turn liquid into powder) without permission from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. As a result, it has already been confirmed in a state compensation claim case against the investigative authorities that Mr. Aijima and others were innocent and that this charge was baseless.

In that lawsuit, the investigative authorities' requests for arrest warrants, detention orders, and public prosecution were deemed illegal. However, the legal responsibility of the judges was not pursued.

Mr. Aijima was arrested on March 11, 2020, and his detention began on March 13.

His lawyers filed a quasi-kokoku appeal against the detention, and after indictment, repeatedly filed for bail. However, the judges consistently denied bail, continuously ruling that there was considerable suspicion of a crime and that Mr. Aijima might conceal evidence or flee.

In October of that year, Mr. Aijima was diagnosed with stomach cancer. His lawyers requested bail, stating that he needed immediate detailed examinations. However, the judges denied bail, ruling that even with stomach cancer, Mr. Aijima might conceal evidence or flee.

Ultimately, Mr. Aijima was never granted bail and passed away on February 7, 2021.

This lawsuit questions the responsibility of judges who, while supposed to make independent decisions according to their conscience, continuously endorsed the demands of investigative authorities engaging in inappropriate conduct, without acting as a check.

This lawsuit seeks damages from the state, alleging that all decisions made by the 37 judges involved – those who issued arrest warrants, those who issued detention orders, and those who denied bail requests – were illegal concerning Shizuo Aijima.

Points of Contention in This Lawsuit

Is the state liable for damages regarding judges' decisions?

The point of contention in this lawsuit is whether the state bears liability for damages concerning decisions made by judges, such as arrests, detentions, and denial of bail. The plaintiffs argue that these decisions were illegal for the following reasons.

1. There was no suspicion of a crime in the first place.

In the Okawara Kakoki Incident, the definition of 'sterilization' was disputed. However, there were no official documents to support the interpretation of 'sterilization' adopted by the investigative authorities. In such circumstances, the suspicion that Mr. Aijima committed a crime...