NAGOYA, May 21 (News On Japan) - Four years ago, a Sri Lankan woman named Wishma died after repeatedly complaining of illness while detained at a Nagoya immigration facility. The government has admitted to possessing 295 hours of video footage documenting her condition leading up to her death—but has only disclosed five hours of it to the bereaved family.
On May 20th, her relatives filed a new lawsuit demanding the full release of the footage. The central question: what is on the undisclosed video?
Wishma, who lost her visa status, was held in immigration detention and began vomiting repeatedly about two months before her death. Despite requesting an IV drip and hospitalization, she did not receive the care she sought. A medical test conducted three weeks before her death showed symptoms indicating a possible pre-comatose state, yet no treatment was administered. The government has cited illness as the cause of death but says pinpointing a specific illness has proven difficult.
The released footage shows Wishma groaning on her bed in a detention room in her final days. After traveling to Japan, her sisters were devastated by her deteriorated state and requested access to official documents detailing her treatment while detained. However, most of the documents they received were heavily redacted.
The family previously filed a lawsuit against the state, arguing that immigration authorities failed to provide appropriate medical care. In the latest legal action, they are now seeking access to all 295 hours of footage.
The Justice Ministry has only released five hours to date. Immigration officials reportedly believed that Wishma’s repeated pleas were an attempt to gain temporary release from detention, rather than genuine medical distress.
One sister stated, "Even with just five hours of footage, we suspect the remaining 290 hours contain even more disturbing scenes." A government report had already noted that staff made inappropriate remarks toward Wishma, including saying, "You're going to snort milk through your nose," and "You're already on drugs, aren’t you?"—yet no such footage has been released.
The family is especially concerned about the footage from the day Wishma died. According to the report, one staff member said around 8 a.m. that she was "unresponsive." However, the video abruptly cuts and resumes six hours later, showing her lying motionless and unresponsive to staff.
"What are they hiding?" one sister asked. "There must be something in that footage they don't want us to see—something they did to my sister that’s too terrible to show."
When questioned by media, the Immigration Services Agency said the videos also show internal security systems and could "interfere with the maintenance of order" if released.
For the family, however, the footage is more than evidence—it is the only way they can feel connected to their lost sister. "We couldn’t do anything for her when she died. So at least let us see what happened. Let us be there for her at the end," one sister said.
The family insists that the full truth must be revealed, especially since the government's justification—that it poses a security risk—does not align with their desire for transparency.
One commentator noted, "The problem is that there are no clear rules for what must be disclosed. If there were, a third-party lawyer could review the footage and determine what should be made public. Instead, the lack of transparency only deepens suspicion."
He continued, "This isn’t an issue for the courts alone. The government should have set disclosure rules from the beginning. Because they didn’t, the bereaved family is left with unanswered questions—and a growing sense of mistrust."
Source: TBS
