The Yomiuri Shimbun
A group of 14 Muslims has filed suit against the central and Tokyo metropolitan governments, demanding 154 million yen in compensation for violations of privacy and religious freedom after police antiterrorism documents containing their personal information were leaked onto the Internet.
The lawsuit filed at the Tokyo District Court accused the Metropolitan Police Department and the National Police Agency of systematically gathering their personal information, including on religious activities and relationships, merely because they are Muslims.
The lawsuit also alleged that after the information was leaked last October, the MPD failed to take sufficient action to prevent its spread.
In late November, a Tokyo-based publisher released a book carrying the leaked documents.
After the leak, "The plaintiffs were presumed to be international terrorism suspects. They were forced to leave their jobs and live apart from their families," the petition filed Monday at the court claimed.
The MPD has said it is highly likely the leaked documents included internal information from its Public Security Bureau, and has been investigating the leak on suspicion of obstruction of police operations since December.
At a Monday press conference in Tokyo, one plaintiff said: "It's been six months since the leak, but there's been no [official police] apology. I haven't been able to see my family and my life is full of anxiety."
(May. 18, 2011)
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