A 74-year-old member of a Japanese radical group, Chukaku-ha, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Tokyo District Court over a 1971 riot in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward that resulted in the death of a policeman. Masaaki Osaka, who was charged with murder and other crimes, had his defense immediately appealed the ruling following the Friday sentencing. Prosecutors had initially demanded an indefinite prison term for Osaka.
Presiding Judge Yasuaki Takahashi stated, “It was a cruel and outrageous act of unilateral assault against a non-resisting victim,” as he handed down the sentence. The ruling detailed how Osaka conspired with students, workers, and others to attack policemen with firebombs and steel pipes on November 14, 1971. The attack resulted in the injury of three policemen and the tragic death of 21-year-old officer Tsuneo Nakamura from the Niigata prefectural police.
Osaka’s defense immediately appealed the decision of the Tokyo District Court after he was sentenced to 20 years in prison. The 74-year-old member of Chukaku-ha, a Japanese radical group, was charged with murder and other crimes as a result of a 1971 riot in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward that claimed the life of a policeman.
The prosecutors had requested an indefinite prison term for Osaka during the trial. However, Presiding Judge Yasuaki Takahashi ultimately issued a 20-year sentence, stating, “It was a cruel and outrageous act of unilateral assault against a non-resisting victim.” The ruling revealed that Osaka had conspired with students, workers, and others to attack policemen with firebombs and steel pipes, resulting in the death of 21-year-old officer Tsuneo Nakamura and injuries to three other policemen.
Osaka, a 74-year-old member of Chukaku-ha, a Japanese radical group, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Tokyo District Court. The sentencing is a result of a 1971 riot in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward that left a policeman dead. Following the sentencing, Osaka’s defense immediately appealed the decision. During the trial, prosecutors had demanded an indefinite prison term for Osaka.
Presiding Judge Yasuaki Takahashi handed down the sentence, stating, “It was a cruel and outrageous act of unilateral assault against a non-resisting victim.” The ruling outlined that Osaka collaborated with students, workers, and others to attack policemen with firebombs and steel pipes. The assault resulted in the death of 21-year-old officer Tsuneo Nakamura and injured three other policemen.
