Prosecutors seek 18 months over China embassy intrusion
Bastillepost · 4 SOURCESabout 4 hours ago4 MIN
Summary
Prosecutors at the Tokyo District Court on Tuesday sought an 18-month custodial sentence for former Japanese Self-Defense Forces member Murata Akihiro (村田晃大) over his March intrusion into the Chinese embassy in Japan. The defendant has admitted unlawful entry and a weapons-law violation, but disputes the charge that he threatened embassy staff.
Key Points
- The Tokyo District Court heard the case on November 10, when prosecutors requested a one-year, six-month term of detention or imprisonment for Murata.
- The case relates to March 24, when Murata allegedly climbed a wall, entered the Chinese embassy in Tokyo with a knife, and was later arrested by police.
- Prosecutors charged him with unlawful entry, violating Japan’s firearms and swords law, and threatening embassy personnel; he denies the intimidation count.
- According to court reporting, Murata said he was angered by what he saw as China’s hardline diplomacy toward Japan and wanted that policy corrected.
- The defense asked the court to impose a fine instead, and the first-instance ruling is scheduled to be delivered on December 24
Why It Matters
The case is being watched because prosecutors said the defendant’s actions could have had serious implications for China-Japan diplomatic relations, while the Chinese embassy had already lodged a strong protest with Japan after the incident. For Hong Kong readers, the proceedings offer a concrete measure of how Japanese courts are handling a security breach involving Chinese diplomatic premises and alleged threats against embassy staff.