nuclear-news

On June 11, 2012, 1324 people from Fukushima Prefecture filed a criminal complaint against Tokyo Electric Power Co. Chairman Tsunehisa Katsumata and 32 others, accusing them of professional negligence resulting in death and injury, arguing they were responsible for causing the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant and the exposure of the plaintiffs to radiation.

In the written complaint filed with the Fukushima District Public Prosecutors Office, the complainants said the 33 neglected to take disaster countermeasures, despite the frequency of earthquakes in Japan and indications by experts of the possibility of tsunami. They also argued that the officials failed to release evacuation information appropriately, which led to residents’ exposure to radiation.

The 33 include TEPCO Chairman Katsumata, former TEPCO President Masataka Shimizu, 13 other TEPCO officials, Nuclear Safety Commission Chief Haruki Madarame, and 3 Radiation Health Risk Management Advisors of the prefecture including Shunichi Yamashita, Vice President of Fukushima Medical University.

“By holding them accountable, we will carry out our responsibility to the next generation,” says Ms. Ruiko Muto, leader of the complainant organization. “I hope our action will lead to reuniting our bonds disrupted by the disaster.”

They plan to file the second complaint where people outside Fukushima Prefecture can join the complainant. The dedline for joining is the end of September 2012.