Islam Mohamed Himu
Encyclopedia
is a Bangladesh
i businessman in Japan
who was wrongfully accused of al-Qaeda
-related activities.
, Saitama Prefecture
, and had two children with his wife. He established a telecommunications business, Ryo International, in 1995, which sold prepaid telephone cards and mobile phones; it had been growing rapidly, from ¥
40 million of sales in 2000 to ¥350 million in 2001 and ¥800 million in 2003. He gained permanent residency in Japan in 2000. He had an office in Tokyo's Akihabara
district as well a branch in Yokosuka, where he employed three Filipina immigrants
, but rarely visited the Yokosuka office, according to the building's owner.
fugitive Lionel Dumont
, who had stayed in Japan between 2002 and 2003. He had met Dumont at a mosque in Isesaki, Gunma Prefecture
in 1999; eager to do business, Himu gave Dupont his namecard, and sold him several phone cards. Police also raided the branch office in Yokosuka, where they arrested a Bangladeshi employee of Himu's. The media referred to him as "Japan's first suspected Islamic terrorist", while United States Forces Japan
spokesmen claimed he had been seen at the Yokosuka Naval Base
directly across from his office "gathering intelligence". He had been under surveillance for nearly a year before the arrest, according to Japanese media reports.
Himu was indicted on 7 July 2004 by the Tokyo Summary Court, which ordered him to pay a fine of ¥
300,000 for his violation of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law, consisting of having employed his younger brother and another illegal foreign resident between August 2001 and May 2004. Following his payment of the fine, he was released. The prosecutors declined to indict him on any charges relating to alleged al-Qaeda connections.
In April 2005, Himu filed a human rights complaint with the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, hoping to gain a public apology from senior police officials and the Japanese media
, whom he accused of having "ruined [his] life". In October of that year, he also filed libel suits in the Tokyo District Court
in his own name and that of his company against various media organisations, including Kyodo News
and the Nippon Television Network. In December 2007, the Tokyo District Court ordered the Sankei Shimbun
to pay Himu in compensation for their having published a front-page report giving his true name and falsely claiming he was a "top terrorist"; the court stated that the publication of his name was inappropriate.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
i businessman in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
who was wrongfully accused of al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
-related activities.
Early life
Himu lived in Canada, where he met and married a Japanese woman; the two came to Japan together in 1995. After moving to Japan, he lived in TodaToda, Saitama
is a city located in Saitama, Japan. The city is located beside the Arakawa river which separates it from Tokyo. The Sasame river also flows through the city before joining the Arakawa.-History:...
, Saitama Prefecture
Saitama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Saitama.This prefecture is part of the Greater Tokyo Area, and most of Saitama's cities can be described as suburbs of Tokyo, to which a large amount of residents commute each day.- History...
, and had two children with his wife. He established a telecommunications business, Ryo International, in 1995, which sold prepaid telephone cards and mobile phones; it had been growing rapidly, from ¥
Japanese yen
The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...
40 million of sales in 2000 to ¥350 million in 2001 and ¥800 million in 2003. He gained permanent residency in Japan in 2000. He had an office in Tokyo's Akihabara
Akihabara
, also known as , is an area of Tokyo, Japan. It is located less than five minutes by rail from Tokyo Station. Its name is frequently shortened to in Japan...
district as well a branch in Yokosuka, where he employed three Filipina immigrants
Filipinos in Japan
Filipinos in Japan formed a population of 202,592 individuals at year-end 2007, making them Japan's fourth-largest foreign community, according to the statistics of the Ministry of Justice. Their population reached as high as 245,518 in 1998, but fell to 144,871 individuals in 2000 before...
, but rarely visited the Yokosuka office, according to the building's owner.
Arrest and release
Himu was arrested in a dawn raid on 26 May 2004 in Tokyo on charges of falsifying business-related documents; police targeted him because of his alleged connection to FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
fugitive Lionel Dumont
Lionel Dumont
Lionel Dumont is a former French soldier currently serving life in prison. He converted to Islam after serving with peacekeepers in Somalia. He was later accused of participating in the Gang de Roubaix, which unsuccessfully tried to set a car bomb during the G7 meeting in Lille in March...
, who had stayed in Japan between 2002 and 2003. He had met Dumont at a mosque in Isesaki, Gunma Prefecture
Gunma Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the northwest corner of the Kantō region on Honshu island. Its capital is Maebashi.- History :The remains of a Paleolithic man were found at Iwajuku, Gunma Prefecture, in the early 20th century and there is a public museum there.Japan was without horses until...
in 1999; eager to do business, Himu gave Dupont his namecard, and sold him several phone cards. Police also raided the branch office in Yokosuka, where they arrested a Bangladeshi employee of Himu's. The media referred to him as "Japan's first suspected Islamic terrorist", while United States Forces Japan
United States Forces Japan
The refers to the various divisions of the United States Armed Forces that are stationed in Japan. Under the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan, the United States is obliged to defend Japan in close cooperation with the Japan Self-Defense Forces for...
spokesmen claimed he had been seen at the Yokosuka Naval Base
United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka
U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, or Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka is a United States Navy base, in Yokosuka, Japan. Its mission is to maintain and operate base facilities for the logistic, recreational, administrative support and service of the U.S. Naval Forces Japan, U.S. 7th Fleet and...
directly across from his office "gathering intelligence". He had been under surveillance for nearly a year before the arrest, according to Japanese media reports.
Himu was indicted on 7 July 2004 by the Tokyo Summary Court, which ordered him to pay a fine of ¥
Japanese yen
The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...
300,000 for his violation of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law, consisting of having employed his younger brother and another illegal foreign resident between August 2001 and May 2004. Following his payment of the fine, he was released. The prosecutors declined to indict him on any charges relating to alleged al-Qaeda connections.
Lawsuit
After Himu's release, he found his business and his life disrupted; his employees had all departed, and bills he had been unable to collect while in custody while his suppliers waited for payment left him with ¥120 million in debt. Many of his former associates declined to do business with him anymore; transportation companies even refused to ship his products. Eventually, with his business bankrupt, he closed down his existing offices and opened up a new business under a different name. Several countries also barred him from obtaining a visa due to the unproven allegations.In April 2005, Himu filed a human rights complaint with the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, hoping to gain a public apology from senior police officials and the Japanese media
Media of Japan
The communications media of Japan include numerous television and radio networks as well as newspapers and magazines in Japan. For the most part, television networks were established based on the capital contribution from existing radio networks at that time...
, whom he accused of having "ruined [his] life". In October of that year, he also filed libel suits in the Tokyo District Court
Tokyo District Court
is a district court located at 1-1-4 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. -References:...
in his own name and that of his company against various media organisations, including Kyodo News
Kyodo News
is a nonprofit cooperative news agency based in Minato, Tokyo. It was established in November 1945 and it distributes news to almost all newspapers, and radio and television networks in Japan. The newspapers using its news have about 50 million subscribers. K. K. Kyodo News is Kyodo News' business...
and the Nippon Television Network. In December 2007, the Tokyo District Court ordered the Sankei Shimbun
Sankei Shimbun
is a daily newspaper in Japan published by the . It has the sixth highest circulation for a newspaper in Japan, and is considered as one of the five "national" newspapers...
to pay Himu in compensation for their having published a front-page report giving his true name and falsely claiming he was a "top terrorist"; the court stated that the publication of his name was inappropriate.