Turkish man sues Japanese gov't, says immigration officials broke his arm

OSAKA -- A Turkish man sued the government of Japan on May 29 seeking damages totaling 4.5 million yen, alleging that immigration officials in Osaka broke his right arm while trying to restrain him at a detention facility here.

According to the Osaka District Court lawsuit, the plaintiff, 34, arrived in Japan in January 2015 but was denied entry as he had previously been deported due to an illegal stay. He has since been under detention.

The alleged incident at the Osaka Regional Immigration Bureau detention facility in Osaka's Suminoe Ward occurred in July 2017, when the Turkish man threw a book at an official because he became angry at the official's attitude. This action prompted several officials to pile onto him, breaking his right arm.

Surveillance camera footage showed about eight officials pinning the man on the ground. The image was made public by the lawyers for the plaintiff following its release by the bureau.

One of the lawyers says they want to examine the Osaka bureau's stance toward detainees as officials there have been accused of "illegal restraint" in the past. A bureau official declined to comment, saying the suit had not reached the bureau.

(Japanese original by Koji Endo, Osaka City News Department)