Arab News Japan

TOKYO: A second hearing took place in Tokyo District Court on Wednesday in the case of young people suffering from thyroid cancer, which they attribute to the nuclear power plant disaster in Fukushima following the 2011 tsunami.

One of the lawyers representing the plaintiffs informed the court that a new plaintiff had joined the action, bringing the total to seven. The lawyers for the victims took turns in representing their clients while supporters gathered in front of the courthouse to encourage them.

The lawyers made a presentation in the courtroom on how radioactivity affects the human body.

One plaintiff, who was hidden from public view by wooden panels, sobbed as he spoke and thanked the supporters for their assistance as he asked the Court to render a judgment in favor of the plaintiffs.

In a press conference after the hearing, lawyer IDO Kenichi clarified contradictory reports on the dangers of radioactivity in relation to thyroid cancer. He cited the Chernobyl disaster where researchers found documented cases of thyroid cancers below the 100 millisievert level.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has stated that Japan will likely increase the use of nuclear power, but the young victims in court on Wednesday say they are there to testify to the devastating effects of radiation on their bodies and opposed resorting to this source of energy.