照屋寛徳衆院議員ら県選出国会議員６氏は１８日、県庁で記者会見を開き、米軍北部訓練場のヘリパッド建設と名護市辺野古の新基地建設の抗議行動で威力業務妨害容疑などで逮捕・起訴され、約４カ月にわたり勾留されている沖縄平和運動センターの山城博治議長の即時釈放を求める声明を発表した。
声明は照屋氏のほか、衆院議員の仲里利信氏、赤嶺政賢氏、玉城デニー氏、参院議員の糸数慶子氏、伊波洋一氏の連名。
６氏は声明で「軽微な容疑にもかかわらず、存在しない『証拠隠滅や逃亡の恐れ』を口実に長期拘留と接見禁止が続けられていることは、辺野古および高江の闘いとウチナーンチュの平和と尊厳回復を求める非暴力の抵抗をつぶす目的の政治弾圧だ」と政府を批判した上で、裁判所に山城議長の即時釈放を求めた。
弁護士として山城議長との接見を続けている照屋氏は「使い捨てカイロを差し入れようとして丸５日もかかるなど、異常で不当な長期勾留だ」と批判した。山城議長が３月１７日に内定している第１回公判に向け、健康管理を徹底している現状なども報告した。
Six Okinawa diet members issue statement demanding immediate release of peace activist Yamashiro
February 19, 2017 Ryukyu Shimpo
At a press conference held on February 18 at Okinawa Prefectural Government Office, six diet members from Okinawa constituencies released a statement demanding the immediate release of Hiroji Yamashiro, director of the Okinawa Peace Movement Center. Yamashiro has been detained for about four months after being arrested and prosecuted on a charge of alleged forcible obstruction of business while protesting against the construction of Helipads in U.S. Northern Training Area in Takae, Higashi and new U.S. base in Henoko, Nago.
Kantoku Teruya, Toshinobu Nakazato, Seiken Akamine and Denny Tamaki, members of the House Representatives, and Keiko Itokazu and Yoichi Iha, members of the House of Councilors, issued the statement in their names.
The six congress members stressed in the statement: “Despite a minor charge, Yamashiro’s long period of detention and a ban on contact with him continues based on the claim that there is a risk of destruction of evidence or fleeing. This is a political crack-down on the struggle in Henoko and Takae and non-violent resistance by Uchinanchu (Okinawan people) who are seeking peace and the restoration of their dignity.”
They criticized the Japanese Government and asked for the immediate release of Yamashiro.
Teruya, who continues to be in contact with Yamashiro as his lawyer, said, “It took an entire five days for us to get a pocket warmer to him. This long-period of detention is extraordinary and unjust.”
According to the diet members, Yamashiro is focused on maintaining good health for the first court hearing, which is set for March 17.
(English translation by T&CT)
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