Bereaved Family Sues Tokyo Govt over Kurd’s Death in Custody

Tokyo, Oct. 28 (Jiji Press)--The bereaved family of a Kurdish man holding Turkish nationality who died in custody at a Tokyo police station has sued the Tokyo metropolitan government and the clinic where the police station’s contract doctor works.

In the suit filed with Tokyo District Court on Tuesday, the family demands 57 million yen in damages and other relief.

According to the complaint, the deceased was Murat Cicek, who died of peritonitis at age 48 on the morning of July 2 while in detention at the Metropolitan Police Department’s Takao station in Hachioji.

Murat was detained there after being arrested on suspicion of violating the immigration control and refugee recognition law by failing to carry his passport when he had a property damage accident in Hachioji on June 25.

The plaintiff side said that the doctor failed to perform appropriate examinations and overlooked a hole in Murat’s bowel, although he began vomiting and experiencing stomach pain four days after his arrest.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]