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Sept. 10, 2003 -- No. 183 |
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The Justice Chronicle,
provided by Soka Gakkai International-USA, is a free monthly
e-mail in support of the Soka Spirit movement. Soka Spirit
is the SGI's educational effort to create value and deepen
our understanding of Nichiren Buddhism through increased
awareness of issues surrounding the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood
and the spiritual foundation of the SGI movement.
JOURNALIST MASAO OKKOTSU ACCEPTS HIGH COURT DECISION
Masao Otsukotsu, a defendant in a defamation suit Soka
Gakkai filed against him and his company, has accepted
the May 29 Tokyo High Court decision finding him guilty
of libel and ordering him to pay damages. Otsukotsu withdrew
his appeal to the Supreme Court on Aug. 7.
The case concerned an article in the May 1, 2002 issue
of ?Forum 21,? a tabloid magazine Otsukotsu publishes.
The article covered the case of a Buddhist temple and
its indictment two months earlier for tax evasion. However,
it also contained numerous comments from unknown sources
insinuating that Soka Gakkai had wielded influence to
instigate the investigation. The Tokyo High Court found
the allegations made by unnamed sources in the article
to be unsubstantiated, deliberately misleading and clearly
?injurious to the reputation? of the plaintiff.
Judge Hideichi Yazaki also recognized that since its launch,
?Forum 21? has consistently featured editorial content
openly hostile to Soka Gakkai, supporting the conclusion
that the article was calculated to defame the plaintiff.
The Tokyo High Court?s ruling overturned a lower court
decision handed down on Dec. 18, 2002.
SUPREME COURT DISMISSES APPEAL
BY NICHIREN SHOSHU, RULES IN FAVOR OF SOKA GAKKAI IN LIBEL
CASE
On Sept. 9, Japan?s Supreme Court ruled in Soka Gakkai?s
favor in a defamation suit against Nichiren Shoshu and
High Priest Nikken Abe. The Soka Gakkai filed the suit
in January 1996 after Nichiren Shoshu alleged that it
had illegally planted a fraudulent entry in US government
records relating to the so-called ?Seattle Incident.?
In June 1992, a Soka Gakkai newspaper reported that when
High Priest Nikken Abe visited Seattle for religious purposes
in 1963, he was involved in an altercation with local
prostitutes to which the police were called (the ?Seattle
Incident?). Nichiren Shoshu brought a libel suit against
Soka Gakkai for reporting this. The Tokyo District Court
found that the incident had in fact occurred and the Soka
Gakkai report was true, and dismissed Nichiren Shoshu?s
claims. After appealing to the Tokyo High Court, Nichiren
Shoshu withdrew the entire case in January 2002.During
the course of that case, when the Soka Gakkai newspaper
reported that there was a record about the incident in
U.S. government files, Nichiren Shoshu publicly claimed
at a press conference that the Soka Gakkai had illegally
planted the record, calling the Soka Gakkai ?international
criminals.? Further, Nichiren Shoshu published these allegations
in its publications and distributed more than 1.35 million
copies, not only to its temples and associates but also
to political, public and educational institutions, as
well as key individuals both in Japan and in the US. High
Priest Nikken Abe stated that the incident had been a
?conspiracy? and that the official US government record
regarding the Seattle Incident had been ?fabricated.?
In turn, Soka Gakkai filed a suit against Nichiren Shoshu
and High Priest Nikken Abe for libel in August 1996.
In February 2003, the Tokyo High Court concluded there
was no evidence of Soka Gakkai planting a fraudulent record
in any US government files. It further found that Soka
Gakkai did not illegally access any US government database
and ruled that Nichiren Shoshu?s allegations were therefore
unfounded and defamatory and ordered them to pay damages.
In this latest ruling, the Supreme Court dismissed the
defendants? final appeal and supported the High Court?s
decision.
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