A Japanese researcher charged with industrial espionage in the United States said in court Wednesday that his actions did not constitute spying and that he should not be extradited to the U.S.
The Tokyo High Court, examining whether to extradite Takashi Okamoto, heard opinions from Okamoto himself, his lawyers and prosecutors.
Okamoto, 43, was charged in May 2001 in the U.S. with stealing genetic material on Alzheimer's disease developed by the Learner Research Institute at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio, while he was working as researcher in July 1999.