Tokyo High Court Declares Denial of Passport to Journalist Yasuda Illegal

On Thursday, the Tokyo High Court delivered a ruling that deemed the Japanese government's refusal to issue a passport to freelance journalist Jumpei Yasuda as illegal. The presiding judge, Hiro Misumi, supported a prior lower court's judgment that reversed the government's decision, highlighting that Yasuda's application for a passport was legitimate.

Jumpei Yasuda, who is 50 years old, had been working as a reporter in Syria when he was captured by a militant group and held in captivity for over three years before his release. After applying for a passport in 2019, the Foreign Ministry rejected his request due to an entry ban imposed by Turkey, a country Yasuda had entered for his reporting activities.

Judge Misumi pointed out that while the government can withhold passport issuance to preserve its international relations, in this case, Yasuda's plans to visit Italy for tourism were unlikely to compromise Japan's relationship with Turkey. The judge concluded that the governmental refusal to allow Yasuda to travel was, therefore, unlawful.

In a press conference following the ruling, Yasuda expressed concerns over the vague criteria the government uses to deny passport applications. Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry indicated that it would carefully evaluate the court's decision and discuss the matter with related authorities before deciding their next steps.