Regarding the trial of Defendant Masaaki Osaka, who was indicted five years ago for killing a police officer in the "Shibuya riot case" that occurred in 1971, the Tokyo District Court said, "There is a risk of harm to judges." I decided to exclude it from the lay judge trial and to hear it only by the judge.

Masaaki Osaka (72), a member of the radical "core group", set fire to a police box in Kamiyama-cho, Shibuya-ku with a large number of students in the "Shibuya riot case" that occurred in November 1971, and the police. He was nominated for murdering a government official, and after fleeing, he was charged with five charges including murder and arson in June 2017, more than 45 years after the incident.



The Tokyo District Court was considering how to proceed with the trial of Defendant Osaka, but on the 10th of this month, it was decided to exclude it from the lay judge trial and to hear it only by the judge.



Regarding the reason, Judge Toshihiko Niwa said, "Given the actions that the core faction has repeated, there is a risk that the lay judge will be harmed if his appearance is grasped. If you know this, you will be strongly afraid, and as a result, it will be difficult to appoint lay judges. "



In consultations with courts so far, Osaka's lawyer has pleaded not guilty to being involved in the crime.