A press conference was held by the legal team of the bereaved family of Wishma Sandamari, a Sri Lankan woman who died while being detained at the Nagoya Immigration Bureau in Tokyo in March 2021. The conference included the release of part of the surveillance camera footage provided by the government. The footage confirmed the state of Ms. Wishma just before her death and called on people to discuss the state of Japan’s detention system. Only five hours of the total 295 hours of footage were submitted as evidence in response to the Nagoya District Court’s request. Seven minutes of footage from the seven videos submitted showed Wishma moaning and refusing to respond to staff members’ calls. The bereaved family and the legal team expressed their doubts regarding the upcoming bill to revise the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, which would limit the provision not to deport refugees up to twice in principle.
Sisters Polnima (left) and Wayomi hold a press conference showing part of the surveillance camera footage in front of Wishma’s portrait.
In the end, the woman sleeping on the bed did not even respond to the staff’s call. The legal team for the lawsuit filed by the bereaved family of Sri Lankan woman Wishma Sandamari (33 years old at the time) who died while she was detained at the Nagoya Immigration Bureau in March 2021 in Tokyo on the 6th. A press conference was held and part of the surveillance camera footage submitted by the government was released. Through the image of Ms. Wishma just before her death was confirmed, I called on people to discuss the state of Japan’s detention system.
◆ Only 5 hours out of 295 hours
“It’s been two years since she died, and she’s finally seen. The footage I’ve released is only a small portion, but I want people to know what happened at the immigration office. I don’t want the same thing that happened to my sister to happen once more.” Wishma’s younger sister Polnima, 28, complained in front of her portrait, her voice sometimes trembling.
The government will store a total of 295 hours, regarding two weeks until March 6, 2021, when Wishma died. Five hours of this was submitted as evidence in response to the strong demand of the Nagoya District Court, which is hearing a lawsuit for damages. Seven of the videos, regarding seven minutes long, have been released by her lawyers, with audio recordings of Wishma moaning and refusing to respond to staff members’ calls.
According to a report prepared by the Immigration Services Agency of Japan, officials misbehaved, including laughing when a weakened Wishma spit out a drink she mightn’t swallow. However, it was not included in the five-hour footage submitted by the government.
Another sister, Wayomi, 30, said, “Why aren’t you showing all the footage? I want the judge to make a decision following watching all the footage for 295 hours.”
The bereaved family and the defense team also released a statement saying, “Regarding the disclosure of the video footage to some citizens.” He expressed his doubts regarding the bill to revise the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, which will be deliberated in the Diet in the near future, and pointed out that it is “a change for the worse,” such as by limiting the application of the provision not to deport foreigners who are applying for refugee status up to twice in principle.
Attorney Shoichi Ibusuki, who is a member of the defense team, argued that the revised bill was “absolutely unacceptable.” Regarding the video, he emphasized, “I wanted to release it sooner. (Isoko Mochizuki)
The release of the surveillance camera footage has shed light on the tragic death of Wishma Sandamari and raised important questions regarding Japan’s immigration detention system. The fact that only five hours of footage has been submitted is concerning, and the bereaved family and their legal team have called for the release of the remaining 290 hours. The proposed revision to the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act has also come under scrutiny, with concerns regarding its potential negative impact on foreigners applying for refugee status. It is crucial to continue the discussion and push for reform to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.
