Afghan man given temporary stay in Japan after refugee status denied

HIROSHIMA, Jan. 25 Kyodo

An Afghan man who lost a lawsuit seeking refugee status was given special permission to stay in Japan for one year by immigration authorities, sources familiar with his case said Thursday.

Abdul Aziz, a 34-year-old who belongs to an anti-Taliban Hazara ethnic group, has sought asylum, arguing he would be persecuted by the Taliban if he returned home.

Special permission is granted at the discretion of the justice minister. A Justice Ministry official refused to comment on the case, citing privacy.

Entering Japan in June 2001 at Fukuoka airport, Aziz applied for refugee status in November that year, but the application was rejected. He later filed a lawsuit with the Hiroshima District Court.

The district court granted the status in its March 2005 sentence, saying the circumstances in Afghanistan warranted his fear of possible persecution by remnants of the Taliban.

But the high court overturned the district court sentence in July 2006, saying there was no threat of persecution because the Taliban government had already collapsed in February 2002 when the Justice Ministry denied him refugee status.

Aziz did not appeal the high court ruling and the sentence was finalized.

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