Justice Minister Jinen Nagase has again refused to recognize an Afghan man as a refugee even though a court ruled he deserves such status, according to the man's lawyer.
The ruling last year recognized Ali Jane, 25, as a refugee and said he should not be deported. He sought refugee status in 2001 for fear of persecution at home for being a member of an anti-Taliban family.
The justice minister decided not to grant him the status because the Taliban regime has been ousted, lawyer Koichi Kodama said Monday.