Italian man commits suicide in Tokyo immigration facility

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:38 JST, November 20, 2022

An Italian man in his 50s committed suicide in the Tokyo immigration facility where he was being detained, the Immigration Services Agency has announced.

The man is believed to have electrocuted himself, using a torn electric cable from a TV in his room.

According to the announcement, an official who was monitoring detention rooms at the Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau facility found the man collapsed in his room at about 7:20 a.m. Friday. He was taken to the hospital in an ambulance and was confirmed dead about two hours later.

The man had been confirmed to be standing in the room shortly after 6 a.m. Friday, indicating that he committed suicide after that time.

He had been charged with violating the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law, and had been detained in the bureau’s facility since Oct. 25.

“We take this incident seriously and will consider necessary measures after confirming the facts,” an agency official said.