Mr. Kazuo Ishikawa and his wife Sachiko [ who ask for a retrial ]

About the Sayama incident

�¡ A girls' high school student went missing in Sayama city, Saitama pref. on May 1, 1963, and a threatening letter was sent to her house. �¡ In spite of 40 policemen's watching, the police failed to catch the criminal who appeared in order to take a ransom. The girls' high school student was found dead, and a large blame of public opinion concentrated on the police. �¡ The police, which came in criminal investigation to a deadlock, aimed at a neighboring discriminated village in order to fabricate a criminal. Without any proof at all, the police arrested Mr. Kazuo Ishikawa (24 years old at that time) on other trifling small charges, examined over one month in the house of detention (substitute prison) of the police, and finally succeeded in making Mr. Ishikawa a criminal. The first trial gave a death penalty sentence on him. The second trial "imprisonment for life." �¡ On December 21, 1994 under second appeal for retrial, Mr. Ishikawa was released on parole. He is asking for a fair trial and is continuing suing innocence all over Japan.

Sayama incident photograph collection

Sayama incident related link

Appeal for the Retrial of the Sayama Case
Rights Activists and Rights Violations: the Burakumin case in Japan
John H. Davis, Jr., Stanford University
Hisabetsu Buraku
Impeach the Tokyo High Court for rejecting a second request for a retrial by Kazuo Ishikawa!
Paroled murderer maintains innocence over 1963 Sayama case
Kyodo World News Service
Online Magazine"Sayama Wind"(japanese page)