JAPAN: Amnesty International welcomes Japan's acceptance of recommendations to establish a National Human Rights Institution in accordance with the Paris Principles but regrets Japan's rejection of recommendations regarding abolition of the death penalty

5 Apr 2013

[International Secretariat]

Region: JAPAN

Topic:

Amnesty International welcomes Japan's acceptance of recommendations to establish a National Human Rights Institution in accordance with the Principles related to the status of national institutions (Paris Principles). We call on Japan to give immediate effect to these and other recommendations accepted during the review.

Amnesty International deeply regrets Japan's rejection of recommendations made by more than 20 states regarding the death penalty, including to introduce a moratorium on executions with a view to full abolition.  We also sincerely regret Japan's rejection of recommendations to abolish the substitute detention system (daiyo kangoku) or bring it into line with international standards.
Amnesty International deplores Japan's rejection of recommendations to accept responsibility - including legal responsibility - for Japan's military sexual slavery system, and to take appropriate measures to restore the dignity of the survivors, including by providing adequate compensation.

Amnesty International has previously raised concerns that the denial of justice by the Japanese government only compounds the human rights violations committed against the women. Recent comments by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that he wants to "revise" previous apologies extended to the survivors are a worrying sign that Japan will continue to deny justice to the survivors, as is the statement in the Addendum that the issue "should not be politicized or turned into a diplomatic issue".

It is a cause for concern that many of the recommendations made in Japan's 2012 UPR were also made during its first review in 2008. It is very disappointing that not only has Japan failed to address issues such as the death penalty, the daiyo kangoku detention system and sexual slavery in the intervening period, but that the government has yet again refused to accept recommendations made by the international community during the review. Amnesty International urges Japan to reconsider its position on these issues.

Background
The UN Human Rights Council adopted the outcome of the Universal Periodic Review of Japan on 14 March 2013 during its 22nd session. Prior to the adoption of the review outcome, Amnesty International delivered the oral statement above. Amnesty International had earlier submitted information on the situation of human rights in Japan.

14 March 2013
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC STATEMENT