Ex-Prime Minister To Sue Abe For Defamation Over Fukushima?
by Erica Wilkinson on Friday, July 26, 2013
by Erica Wilkinson on Friday, July 26, 2013
Kan Naoto during his term as Prime Minister of Japan.
Last week, the Japanese media reported that former Japanese Prime Minister Kan Naotointends to sue current Prime Minister Abe for defamation over statements made in relation to the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster in 2011, claiming they had “wounded his honour”.
Kan insists that it was his decision to inject seawater into the reactor, and that he made no orders for such an operation to be stopped. Tweets about the article, however, did not support Kan’s plan to restore his dignity, with many remarking that he was only doing it now that Yoshida Masao has died. Yoshida is largely credited with saving the plant from total meltdown.
From MSN Sankei:
Former Prime Minister Kan To Sue Prime Minister Abe For “Slanderous Online Article” About Nuclear Disaster
On July 16, former Prime Minister Kan Naoto of the Democratic Party of Japan, held a press conference in the Diet, announcing that regarding the TEPCO Fukushima power plant No. 1 nuclear disaster, he is suing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for his online newsletter entitled “Prime Minister Kan’s instructions to pour water into the nuclear power plant are made up”, still available even now on the net. Kan is suing Prime Minister Abe for defamation, and demanding for the article to be removed and for an apology.
Prime Minister Abe’s newsletter is dated May 20 2011. The Prime Minister wrote “After the fresh water TEPCO was using got cut, they came up with the idea of pouring sea water in, and carried out that plan. However, after they started pouring sea water in, they were stopped; by none other than Prime Minister Kan”. It was also said that “Prime Minister Kan’s decision to pour sea water in was a lie told by his staff to the newspapers and television”.
Mr Kan stated “the contents of the article are based completely on false information. This is a defamatory article that has wounded my honour”
