前川衆院議員が無罪主張　「禁止行為していない」―公選法違反・奈良地裁

　昨年１０月投開票の衆院選で、公示前に自身への投票を呼び掛ける文書を有権者に送ったとして、公選法違反（法定外文書頒布、事前運動）の罪に問われた日本維新の会の衆院議員前川清成被告（５９）の初公判が２５日、奈良地裁（沢田正彦裁判長）であった。前川被告は「公選法が禁止するような行為は何もしていない」と無罪を主張した。
　公判は、文書の送付が事前運動か、選挙に向けた「準備行為」に当たるのかが争点。
　検察側は冒頭陳述で、前川被告は文書送付先に知人や支援者らが含まれていないことを認識していたと指摘。不特定多数に対する投票呼び掛けに当たると主張した。
　弁護側は、母校の関西大の卒業生に選挙はがきの宛名書きなどを依頼する文書を送ったが、投票を依頼する意図はなかったと訴えた。
　起訴から１００日以内の判決を目指す「百日裁判」で審理される。罰金刑以上が確定した場合、原則５年間の公民権停止となり失職する。
　起訴状によると、前川被告は公示前の昨年１０月１４日、奈良市内で、自らが当選するために「選挙区は『前川きよしげ』、比例区は『維新』とお書き下さい」と書かれたはがきや、「前川さんへぜひ一票をお願いします」と記された文書などが入った封書を３５カ所に送ったとされる。（2022/04/25-20:06）

Japanese lawmaker Kiyoshige Maekawa on Monday pleaded not guilty to charges of violating the public offices election law over the general election for the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the country's parliament, last October.
   The 59-year-old Lower House member of opposition Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) said in the first hearing of his trial at Nara District Court that he had "not done anything banned by the public offices election law." Maekawa is suspected of having sent letters calling on voters to cast their ballots for him before the start of the official campaign period for the Oct. 31 general election.
   The case against the lawmaker is being handled under the "100-day trial" fast-track process. If given a fine or a more severe sentence, he will have his civil rights suspended for five years in principle, meaning that he would lose his Lower House seat.
   In the western Japan city of Nara on Oct. 14, Maekawa is suspected of sending postcards with the phrase "Write Kiyoshige Maekawa for the single-seat constituency and Ishin for the proportional representation bloc (on your ballots)," as well as envelopes containing documents urging people to vote for him, according to the indictment. They were sent to 35 locations.
   The defense side had told reporters that Maekawa only asked people on the list of alumni of Kansai University, his alma mater, to address postcards for the election. It argued that the move was "preparation for his candidacy," not activity before the start of the campaign period banned by the law, and therefore was legal.