Japanese police faces racial profiling lawsuit for first time

Foreign-born residents in Japan file historic lawsuit against police, alleging racial profiling, sparking constitutional and legal debate

Three foreign-born residents of Japan are set to file a lawsuit against the government, alleging racial profiling by the Japanese police. This groundbreaking case marks the first of its kind, as reported by their legal representatives on Wednesday.

The three individuals at the center of the lawsuit include a 20-year-old man born in Pakistan known as Zain, an African American named Maurice in his 40s, and a Pacific Islander in his 50s identifying himself as Matthew. According to their lawyers, these residents have faced repeated police questioning solely based on their ethnicity or appearance.

Moe Miyashita, one of the lawyers representing the plaintiffs, emphasized the significance of the case by stating, “It would be the first lawsuit concerning racial profiling by police in questioning, even though suits over police’s excessive questioning have taken place in the past.”

Zain, who arrived in Japan at the age of eight and acquired citizenship at thirteen, has reportedly been questioned about 15 times by the police. In specific incidents in April and September 2023, he was confronted by a police officer near his residence. Despite asserting his Japanese citizenship, the officer insisted on checking his residence card and passport before searching his belongings.

Maurice, an African American living with Japanese family members, and Matthew, a Pacific Islander who became a permanent resident after marrying a Japanese spouse in 2002, have also faced extensive police questioning. Matthew, in particular, alleges being stopped by a patrol car in October 2021 without any apparent traffic violation. When asked about the incident, the officer reportedly remarked, “It’s rare to see a foreigner driving in this area.”

The trio is scheduled to file their lawsuit at the Tokyo District Court on Monday, seeking compensation for what they argue is racially discriminatory police questioning, both at an institutional and individual level. The lawyers contend that such practices are not only unconstitutional but also illegal.

As of now, Japan’s National Police Agency has not provided a comment on the impending legal action.

Source: AFP