The Tokyo District Court on Wednesday sentenced the wife of a Japanese Red Army Faction hijacking fugitive to a suspended 18-month prison term for disobeying a Foreign Ministry order to surrender her passport.
Tamiko Uomoto, 51, had been on an international wanted list since 1993 after ignoring a 1988 order to return her passport on suspicion that she was involved in activities harmful to public security. Allegations later surfaced that she was involved in the abduction of a Japanese national to North Korea.
Her lawyers had strongly denied her involvement in any subversive activities. She had pleaded not guilty to the charges, saying there was no legal basis for the ministry to take away her passport. Her sentence has been suspended for four years.