河井元法相の実刑確定　懲役３年、控訴取り下げ―公民権停止も・参院選買収

　２０１９年参院選をめぐる大型買収事件で公選法違反（買収、事前運動）罪に問われ、一審で実刑判決を受けた元法相で元衆院議員の河井克行被告（５８）は２１日、控訴を取り下げた。弁護人が明らかにした。懲役３年、追徴金１３０万円とした東京地裁判決が確定した。
　弁護人によると、控訴審で実刑判決を覆す見通しがなく、「（裁判を続ければ）社会復帰が遅れるとの思いがあった」という。東京拘置所に収容されている同被告は弁護人を通じ、「できるだけ速やかに刑に服する決断をした。多くの方々にご迷惑、ご心配を掛けたことを深くおわびする」とのコメントを発表した。
　閣僚経験者の実刑判決が確定するのは、受託収賄罪などに問われ、１０年に確定した元北海道開発庁長官の鈴木宗男参院議員以来とみられる。
　刑確定に伴い、河井被告は公民権が停止され、刑期中と、その後５年間は公職への立候補ができない。（2021/10/21-12:30）

Former Japanese Justice Minister Katsuyuki Kawai on Thursday withdrew his appeal against a ruling that found him guilty of buying votes for his wife in a 2019 national election, his attorney said.
   With the withdrawal, the district court verdict, in which the 58-year-old former House of Representatives lawmaker was sentenced to three years in prison without suspension and fined 1.3 million yen, has become final.
   According to the attorney, Kawai, currently held at the Tokyo Detention House, decided on the move because his prison sentence was unlikely to be overturned on appeal. He also thought that his return to normal life would be delayed if he continued on with his trial, the attorney said.
   "I have decided to serve my prison sentence as soon as possible," Kawai said in a statement released through the attorney. "I deeply apologize for causing trouble and concerns for many people."
   Kawai is believed to be the first lawmaker with ministerial experience to have a jail sentence finalized since House of Councillors lawmaker Muneo Suzuki, former head of the now-defunct Hokkaido Development Agency, who served time for bribery and other charges under a jail sentence finalized in 2010.