Tokyo publisher Bungeishunju Ltd. filed an appeal Saturday with the Tokyo High Court against a lower court's ban on the publication of a weekly magazine aimed at addressing concerns over privacy violation.

The publisher, which expressed concern that the ban violates freedom of the press, is taking the action after the Tokyo District Court on Friday upheld a temporary injunction issued Tuesday against the Shukan Bunshun magazine's latest edition.

The high court is expected to assign a panel of three judges to the case. The panel could draw a conclusion as early as this month by hurrying deliberations because it involves the critical issues of freedom of expression and privacy, informed sources said.

The district court judged that one of the magazine's stories violates the privacy of former Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka's daughter, saying it dwells on the daughter's personal affairs and had no bearing on the public interest.