KOBE ¨C A Japanese inquest panel decided it was inappropriate for public prosecutors to not indict the head of a political group that criticizes NHK?over his alleged intimidation of a local assembly member in 2024.
The prosecution inquest panel in Kobe?made the decision on June 24.
The Kobe District Public Prosecutors Office will reinvestigate the matter and make a decision again on whether to indict Takashi Tachibana, 58.
While the panel said it was inappropriate not to indict?on suspicion of intimidation, it?endorsed the prosecutors¡¯ decision not to indict Tachibana over his suspected defamation and forcible obstruction of business against Hyogo prefectural assembly member Kenichi Okutani.
The prosecutors office last December decided not to indict Tachibana over any of the allegations, leading Okutani to request a review by the inquest panel.
On Nov. 3, 2024, during the campaign period for a Hyogo gubernatorial election, Tachibana made a speech in front of Okutani¡¯s home-cum-office, allegedly saying, ¡°Come out, Okutani¡± and ¡°I¡¯ll stop now as I don¡¯t want you to kill yourself after I scare you too much.¡±
Tachibana denounced Okutani in front of dozens of people, and the use of the phrase ¡°kill yourself¡± can scare people, the inquest panel said, requesting the prosecutors office to reinvestigate Tachibana¡¯s alleged intimidation of the prefectural assembly member.
Okutani praised the panel¡¯s conclusion at a news conference in Kobe on Monday.
The decision is ¡°very meaningful,¡± he said, noting that ¡°acts of intimidation in the name of freedom of expression would be allowed¡± if action is not taken against Tachibana¡¯s behavior.
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