#JusticeForWishma Seeking for truth on the death of Wishma at Nagoya immigration facility
photo：©︎Natsuki Yasuda/ Dialogue for People
A Sri Lankan woman, Wishma, died on March 6, 2021 after being detained at the immigration facility in Nagoya, Japan. She became too ill to be able to walk and asked the bureau for an IV administration. She also applied for a provisional release. But the immigration bureau denied both of her requests.
Cover-up and manipulation suspected in the interim report
The supporters who repeatedly visited Wishma and the affiliated doctors claimed the necessity of an IV or a provisional release, but the immigration authorities covered up this fact and tried to evade the responsibility. Although an interim report on her death was released by immigration service agencies, the investigation, which was conducted by themselves despite their accountability for the incident as she was in their custody, does not even clarify the cause of death and omits any inconvenient facts in their handling of the case. The medical record by the doctor outside the facility states “if (medicine) cannot be taken orally, she should receive an IV or be hospitalized.” This contradicts what the interim report states that there is no instruction for IV or hospitalization. Also, the psychiatrist who examined Wishma two days before her death recorded in the Patient Referral Document that her condition would likely improve if the agency granted her provisional release, which was the best thing for the patient. The doctor recommended the provisional release and advised the immigration staff to do so on the same day. However, the interim report omits this fact.
What is the reason of their stubborn refusal to release the video?
Wishma’s younger sisters came all the way from Sri Lanka to seek the truth on her sister’s death. They are strongly demanding the immigration authorities to release the video caught by the surveillance camera located in the cell where Wishma was held. However, the immigration authorities are stubbornly refusing it for security reasons. Why don’t they release it even to the family? Are they refusing to do so to hide problems in their handling of the case? This attitude of immigration officials only invites a wide spread of public distrust of its authorities in Japan.
We demand the release of video, a sincere apology to the family, and thorough measures so that this unfortunate case will not happen again
We want the truth that led to Wishma’s death at the immigration facility in Nagoya. We demand the immigration authorities to release the video of her footage in the facility and to disclose all critical documents including her autopsy finding. We also demand them to accept their medical neglect and to make a sincere apology to her family. Wishma’s death is not the first time; the inmates have died one after another in the Japanese detention centers (total 17 deaths since 2007). We do not want any more victims. We want the immigration authorities to release the video to her family and the members of Parliament, to probe into the circumstances of her death, and to take thorough measures so that it will not happen again.
Reference articles
BOND ~外国人労働者・難民と共に歩む会~ 「#名古屋入管死亡事件の真相究明と再発防止を求めます：４・２１緊急抗議集会報告」（2021年4月23日）
Dialog for People 安田菜津紀「「この国の崩れ方がここまできてしまったのか」：入管はなぜウィシュマさんのビデオ映像を開示しないのか」（2021年5月18日）
START~外国人労働者・難民とともに歩む会~「中間報告からの抜粋」（2021年5月2日）
START~外国人労働者・難民とともに歩む会~「名古屋入管死亡事件・３月４日「診療情報提供書」に対するＳＴＡＲＴの見解」（2021年6月5日）
START~外国人労働者・難民と共に歩む会~「３月４日に、ウィシュマさんを診察した精神科医との面談について」（2021年7月4日)
START~外国人労働者・難民と共に歩む会~「スリランカ人女性との面会記録(最新版)」（2021年7月7日)
Promoter: The Group of students and citizens to uncover the truth about circumstances surrounding the death of Wishma
We, the members of START, who repeatedly visited and supported Wishma while she was still alive, called the members of BOND and TRY, the support groups for foreign detainees and the former detainees who was granted provisional release in Kanto and Kansai regions, to form a group of students and citizens to uncover the truth about circumstances surrounding the death of Wishma at the immigration facility in Nagoya and to demand thorough measures so that it will not happen again. We launched an online campaign to collect signatures requesting for disclosure of the video. We will have other online events and campaigns on a nationwide scale.
