Maninali's Conviction Puts Japan System on Trial

Govinda Mainali's case in Japan continues to be a subject of unusual legal interet. The Washington Post looks at the pro and cons of the Japanese justice system. The Tokyo High Court's verdict to jail Mainali for life have been critisized by Mainali's defendents, and his attorney have called it as "an extremely unjust verdict." The Post quotes a Japanese author who says "What they did was outrageous. They would never do this to a Japanese, or even to a Caucasian. There is an element of racism against the Nepalese because they are colored persons." Also, this quote from Hideki Morihara, a coordinator in Japan for Amnesty International :"It's not possible, legally, to detain a person who has been acquitted, but they did it anyway." (Washington Post, Dec 31/00)
• Acquittal Overturned: The 'Office Lady' Murder International Herald Tribune, Jan 03/01