‘I’m Not a Fabricator’ ～Former Asahi Reporter Files Suit against Historical Revisionists

UEMURA　Takashi　, former Asahi Shimbun reporter, filed a defamation suit with the Tokyo District Court on Jan. 9 against a university professor and a publisher.  He had been criticized by  NISHIOKA Tsutomu, a professor of Korean studies at Tokyo Christian University, and Bungeishunju Ltd., which published the weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun, as having fabricated newspaper articles on “comfort women.”  In the lawsuit, Uemura demands correction of the magazine article, an apology and compensation for being stigmatized as fabricator, losing public credibility and suffering personal attack. Some 170 lawyers formed a defense team and said, “This is not a personal problem of Uemura alone but a significant issue relating to democracy and freedom of speech in Japan.” After he filed the suit, he reported on the case at an event hall of the House of Councilors, and nearly 300 people participated. Uemura told the audience how he decided to bring the case to the court, sometimes with tears in his eyes. “I decided to file the suit to protect the rights of myself, my family, my friends and the colleagues at Hokusei University,” he said. When he finished, he received long applause of encouragement. (By M)  

植村隆さん提訴「私は捏造記者ではない」～ 歴史修正主義者への反撃はじまる
 
1 月9日、慰安婦捏造とバッシングを浴びていた元朝日記者・植村隆さんが東京地裁に「名誉毀損裁判」を起こした。植村さんは、「週刊文春」および西岡力氏に よって捏造記者とされ、社会的信用を傷つけられ、個人攻撃を浴びたとして、両者に記事の訂正・謝罪・損害賠償を求めている。弁護団は170名で「これは植 村個人の問題でなく、日本の民主主義・言論の自由がかかっている大問題」と全国の弁護士が結集した。提訴後の報告集会が参院議員会館講堂で開催された。た くさんの市民がかけつけ、会場を急遽変更したが、300人近い人が詰めかけた。「私の人権、家族・友人の人権、北星の仲間を守るために提訴した」。植村隆 さんは、提訴にいたった経緯と決意を時には涙を浮かべながら、じっくり語った。話おわると激励の拍手が鳴り止まなかった。（M）  
＊写真＝提訴に臨む植村さん（TVニュースより）