Kosuke Tsuneoka, Freelance Journalist
Tsutomu Shimizu, Lawyer
Yasuhiko Tajima, Legal Scholar and Former Professor of Sophia University
Language: The speech and Q & A will be in Japanese with English interpretation.
Tsuneoka will bring a lawsuit against the foreign ministry and the Japanese government on 24 April at the Tokyo District Court. Tsuneoka was ordered to surrender his passport on 2 February as he prepared to leave Japan for Yemen to cover the humanitarian crisis there. He is now seeking to overturn that order. The Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders have called on the Japanese government to return Tsuneoka's passport immediately.
Journalists who cover conflicts overseas are often criticized in Japan. Jumpei Yasuda, who was held captive in Syria for more than three years, drew harsh criticism from the media and public figures after he returned home in October last year.
Tsuneoka, who converted to Islam, is known for his 2014 reports on Islamic State's occupation of the Syrian city of Raqqa. Japanese public security police have raided his home. Tsuneoka hopes his lawsuit will serve as a reminder that freedom to travel is one of the bedrocks of democracy and should not be subject to government interference.
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Professional Activities Committee
Kosuke Tsuneoka Tsutomu Shimizu Yasuhiko Tajima