Foreign Correspondence

[thepennyking]

Japan, U.S. set military arrests protocol


TOKYO, March 28 (UPI) -- Japan and the United States have reportedly agreed to allow U.S. officials to be present during Japanese police questioning of U.S. military personnel.

The Kyodo news service Monday quoted diplomatic sources as saying senior working-level officials from the two countries reached a basic agreement last week as part of a U.S. Defense Department review of the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement governing the operation of U.S. troops in Japan.

U.S. officials were seeking to be allowed at Japanese police questioning of U.S. soldiers suspected of committing serious crimes in Japan such as murder and rape.

The agreement was apparently reached provided the U.S. presence was part of the "investigation side" and not as a representative of the suspect.

Unlike the U.S. justice system, criminal suspects in Japan are interrogated without the presence of lawyers. The U.S. wanted Japan to guarantee the protection of the suspects' rights. Human rights groups have raised concerns about the Japanese justice system.




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