Court upholds guilty verdict for health official over AIDS death

Court upholds guilty verdict for health official over AIDS death

TOKYO, Japan - Ryuhei Kawada, an independent member of the House of Councillors who was one of the plaintiffs in HIV damages suits, welcomed Japan's Supreme Court decision on March 4 over an AIDS patient's death. The top court upheld the same day a suspended prison sentence for Akihito Matsumura, a former senior health ministry official who was convicted for failing to prevent the use of HIV-contaminated blood products in the 1980s that resulted in the death of the patient.

Activist Kawada set to win seat in upper house

Activist Kawada set to win seat in upper house

TOKYO, Japan - Ryuhei Kawada, an activist known for his fight against the state and a pharmaceutical company in a lawsuit over tainted blood products given to hemophiliacs like himself, waves to supporters in Tokyo on July 29 after becoming assured of winning a House of Councillors seat in the day's election.

HIV patients' advocate Kawada wins lower house Tokyo by-election

HIV patients' advocate Kawada wins lower house Tokyo by-election

TOKYO, Japan - Etsuko Kawada shakes hands with her hemophiliac son Ryuhei (L) on Oct. 22 after winning in a House of Representatives by-election in Tokyo's No. 21 single-seat constituency. A 51-year-old independent and longtime supporter of people with HIV, Kawada garnered 51,008 votes, beating three rivals including Sekiichi Kato of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, who won 48,883. Kawada will fill a seat vacated by disgraced 38-year-old lawmaker Joji Yamamoto, who resigned from the Diet last month over fraud allegations.

March against Government

March against Government

Demonstraton against the- government by hemophiliacs who were infected with HIV through contaminated imported blood products. A victim (Ryuhei KAWADA) and his mother. (Photo taken in Tokyo on July 24, 1995)

Activist Kawada set to win seat in upper house

Activist Kawada set to win seat in upper house

TOKYO, Japan - Ryuhei Kawada, an activist known for his fight against the state and a pharmaceutical company in a lawsuit over tainted blood products given to hemophiliacs like himself, waves to supporters in Tokyo on July 29 after becoming assured of winning a House of Councillors seat in the day's election. (Kyodo)

Court upholds guilty verdict for health official over AIDS death

Court upholds guilty verdict for health official over AIDS death

TOKYO, Japan - Ryuhei Kawada, an independent member of the House of Councillors who was one of the plaintiffs in HIV damages suits, welcomed Japan's Supreme Court decision on March 4 over an AIDS patient's death. The top court upheld the same day a suspended prison sentence for Akihito Matsumura, a former senior health ministry official who was convicted for failing to prevent the use of HIV-contaminated blood products in the 1980s that resulted in the death of the patient. (Kyodo)

HIV patients' advocate Kawada wins lower house Tokyo by-election

HIV patients' advocate Kawada wins lower house Tokyo by-election

TOKYO, Japan - Etsuko Kawada shakes hands with her hemophiliac son Ryuhei (L) on Oct. 22 after winning in a House of Representatives by-election in Tokyo's No. 21 single-seat constituency. A 51-year-old independent and longtime supporter of people with HIV, Kawada garnered 51,008 votes, beating three rivals including Sekiichi Kato of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, who won 48,883. Kawada will fill a seat vacated by disgraced 38-year-old lawmaker Joji Yamamoto, who resigned from the Diet last month over fraud allegations.