Photo/Illutration Osaka immigration officials restrain Vladimir Juan Burgos Fujii in December 2017. (Provided by the plaintiff’s defense team)

OSAKA—A court partially ruled in favor of a Japanese-Peruvian man who was restrained for more than 14 hours with his hands cuffed behind his back while in immigration detention.

The Osaka District Court delivered its verdict on April 16, ordering the government to pay 110,000 yen ($770) to the legal successor of Vladimir Juan Burgos Fujii, who had sought 2.16 million yen in damages.

Fujii, who had overstayed his visa, was detained at the Osaka Regional Immigration Services Bureau in August 2017.

In December of that year, he was taken to an isolation room after expressing dissatisfaction with his lunch and throwing bread.

He then became agitated, and staff restrained him by handcuffing his hands behind his back around 9 p.m.

Staff left him restrained in that state for more than 14 hours.

Medical examination later revealed a hairline fracture in Fujii’s left arm.

However, the court did not find a direct link between the injury and any actions by staff, noting that Fujii had reportedly slammed his body against the wall.

The court upheld immigration officers’ decision to initially restrain Fujii due to the risk of self-harm and aggression.

However, it concluded that continuing to handcuff him past midnight, when Fujii had calmed down, was unjustified.

The ruling highlighted internal regulations requiring approval from senior officials for the use of restraints exceeding eight hours.

Fujii was later granted special permission to stay in Japan in 2021 to receive treatment for pancreatic cancer. He passed away from the disease in 2023 at the age of 49.

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