Masaaki Osaka, an activist of the extremist group Chukakuha, was arrested and indicted after being on the run for more than 45 years after being put on the wanted list for murdering a police officer in the 1971 Shibuya Riot. The defendant's first trial was held at the Tokyo District Court on the 25th.

Osaka has pleaded not guilty to all charges, stating, "All charges are not true."

Masaaki Osaka (73), an activist of the Chukaku-ha group, was accused of killing a 21-year-old police officer dispatched by the Niigata Prefectural Police during the 1971 Shibuya Riot Incident by throwing a Molotov cocktail. He has been charged with arson and other crimes.

Defendant Osaka was arrested after running away for more than 45 years, and at the first trial on the 25th, he said, "There are no facts about all the charges. pleaded innocent.



Osaka, who has gray hair, sometimes looked calm, looking at the papers in his hand and the audience seats.



In the opening statement, the prosecution explained the background leading up to the incident and the situation at the time, saying, "When the defendant found a police officer who was retreating due to the attack by demonstrators, he beat him with an iron pipe that he and other students had prepared. I took it and threw a Molotov cocktail," he claimed.



The trial, which began more than half a century after the incident occurred, has become a composition in which the defendant's and the prosecution's claims are in direct conflict.



It was decided that the trial would be a risk to the lay judges, and that the trial would be conducted only by the judges, not by the lay judges. There was also a scene where I called people.

Audience ticket lottery ratio is more than 13 times

Many supporters of Masaaki Osaka gathered in front of the Tokyo District Court from the morning of the 25th, and appealed that 'Defendant Osaka is innocent' by using street propaganda vehicles and handing out leaflets.



More than 300 people lined up in 23 seats to get tickets to attend the trial of the Shibuya Riot Incident that occurred more than half a century ago.

What is the “Shibuya Riot Incident”?

The Shibuya Riot Incident occurred in Shibuya, Tokyo in November 1971.



Thousands of extremist students who opposed the Okinawa reversion agreement staged a riot, and the students turned into a mob, attacking police stations and other places. , and the entire Shibuya area fell into chaos.



Tsuneo Nakamura, a 21-year-old police officer who came to support the Niigata Prefectural Police in this incident, died of severe burns, and the Metropolitan Police Department placed Masaaki Osaka on a nationwide wanted list on suspicion of murder.



However, his whereabouts were unknown, and when the statute of limitations for murder expired in 2010, the Metropolitan Police Department continued the investigation with a reward of up to 3 million yen.



In May 2017, more than 45 years after the incident, when the Osaka Prefectural Police conducted a search for the affiliates of the Chukakuha in Hiroshima City, they found Osaka, who was hiding, and arrested her on suspicion of obstructing the execution of official duties.



He was then re-arrested on suspicion of murder.