- The Court imposed prison sentences of between 18 and 10 months, suspended to three years, for trespassing.
 |
| Several members of the Japanese branch of QAnon broke into vaccination centers. / Jesus Hellin 2022 |
Several members of the Japanese branch of QAnon sentenced for breaking into vaccination centers against covid-19
Several members of the self-proclaimed Japanese branch of the US conspiracy group QAnon, YamatoQ, were sentenced this Thursday for breaking into vaccination centers against covid-19 at the beginning of the year to hinder inoculations.
The Tokyo District Court convicted five members of the group, including its ringleader, 44-year-old Hiroyuki Kuraoka, and sentenced them to prison terms of between 18 and 10 months, suspended to three years, for trespassing.
The convicts are part of the group of people who entered various covid vaccination centers at the beginning of the year, where in some cases they remained for more than an hour, shouting slogans such as "vaccination is a crime", and hindering injections.
Premeditated acts
In sentencing, presiding judge Kiichi Hiraide said Kuraoka, who received the heaviest sentence, played a leading role in the incident and was primarily responsible.
The acts of the group "were premeditated and greatly disturbed the peace in the vaccination centers," said Judge Hiraide, who considers that the convicted men cannot evade their guilt, "since they committed the crime of trying to impose their opinions on others." according to details of the ruling collected by the Kyodo news agency.
They spread false information
YamatoQ has been waging a campaign against covid vaccination in Japan and holding rallies denying the existence of the pathogen.
The group has called simultaneous rallies in different parts of the country throughout the year and makes use of social networks to promote its activities and disseminate false information, alleging a lack of transparency about the composition of covid vaccines, which they allege are dangerous.
On its website, YamatoQ states that it is attached "under the same banner of the so-called Q", an abbreviation with which the aforementioned QAnon conspiracy theory is known, and of which, it says, "pioneers" such as the former president are part. American Donald Trump and "many 'white hats'", in reference to his supporters.
Tags:
World