Japanese Court Finalizes Acquittal of Former Tepco Executives Over Fukushima Disaster

On Tuesday, acquittals for two former executives of Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (Tepco) concerning their roles in the 2011 nuclear disaster at the Fukushima No. 1 plant officially came into effect. This final judicial confirmation ensures that neither individual will face criminal charges for the catastrophe, which remains among the most severe nuclear incidents recorded, classified as a Level 7 event according to the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale.

The Supreme Court's decision became final after lawyers acting as prosecutors chose not to appeal. Previously, both the Tokyo District Court and High Court had found the two former Tepco vice presidents—78-year-old Ichiro Takekuro and 74-year-old Sakae Muto—not guilty. The pair had initially faced criminal charges brought by prosecutors in February 2016, who accused the executives of business negligence resulting in deaths and injuries linked to the triple meltdown triggered by the earthquake and tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011.

Alongside Takekuro and Muto, former Chairman Tsunehisa Katsumata was also charged. However, Katsumata passed away at age 84 in October of last year, leading to the dismissal of his case the following month. The Tokyo District Court first ruled them not guilty in 2019, with the High Court affirming this decision in January 2023.

The final judicial outcome has left many locals deeply upset, especially individuals directly affected by the disaster. On Tuesday, angry protestors, numbering around fifty people, assembled in front of the Supreme Court in Tokyo. Among them was 82-year-old Hiromu Murata, originally from Soma city in Fukushima Prefecture, who moved to Yokohama due to the nuclear accident. Murata expressed his frustration and sadness openly, remarking that the deceased victims of the disaster could never truly rest unless justice prevailed.