Calling Notice - Demanding a Fair Trial for Nick Baker

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 4th Jun 2003

Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP, European Liberal Democrat justice spokeswoman, and Sabine Zanker, a lawyer with Fair Trials Abroad, will hold a press conference at 11am on Friday 6th June as time runs out to prevent a gross miscarriage of justice in Japan against British citizen Nick Baker. Nick's mother Iris Baker will be present.

Nick Baker has spent over a year in a Japanese prison already, 10 months of that in solitary confinement, on a charge of drug-smuggling for which he protests his innocence. He alleges he was duped by a travelling companion into carrying through customs a bag containing drugs. Baroness Ludford and Fair Trials Abroad maintain he has not had a fair trial. Next week on Thursday June 12th verdict and sentence (which could be up to 15 years) will be passed.

On Friday June 6th Nick Baker's defence lawyer will submit an application to have the case reopened ahead of the verdict, to consider crucial defence evidence previously blocked by the Japanese authorities. The press conference will coincide with that move.

A request has been made by the Chiba Bar Association (the local lawyers' association) for the Belgian authorities to supply evidence they have on the travelling companion ('Mr Jones') which would support Nick's innocence.

Says Sarah:

"The race is on to ensure a fair trial for Nick. It is still not certain, despite Belgian willingness in principle to comply with the request, that the evidence will be heard in time, if at all.

"Japan is a country many people plan to visit as a holiday destination, considering it safe. Most would be shocked to learn that foreign suspects in criminal cases are required to sign statements in Japanese, based only on an oral summary and with no legal advice. Solitary confinement for a man who has maintained his innocence and a 99.3% conviction rate truly mocks the notion of being innocent until proven guilty.

"It is a scandal that it has taken a public outcry and sustained lobbying to even obtain a chance of a fair trial in a developed country. The Japanese courts must now do the only decent thing, consider ALL the evidence and then send Nick home to his young son and loving family."

The press conference will be held at the London offices of the European Parliament at 2 Queen Anne's Gate, London SW1.