Two Japanese lawyers were handed pictures and documents yesterday by a Nanjing war memorial to help defend a client who wrote a book nine years ago telling of atrocities committed by Japanese soldiers during the 1937 Nanjing massacre.
Zhu Chengshan director of the Memorial Hall of the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders yesterday handed over evidence - including pictures, witnesses' testimonies and maps - to Japanese lawyers Yoshihiro Sorano and Ryutaro Nakakita.
The two lawyers are representing 84-year-old Shiro Azuma, who wrote a book in 1987 recording details of the massacre when he served as a soldier of the Japanese army.
According to the lawyers, Japanese right-wing organisations have put tremendous pressure on Mr Azuma since the publication of his book. A civil lawsuit was filed against him in 1993 and a first trial was concluded last April when Mr Azuma and two other defendants were ordered to pay 500,000 yen (HK$34,550) compensation.
Mr Sorano said Japanese courts seldom overturned their verdicts although he believed that Mr Azuma lost the first case because most Japanese did not know about the massacre.
Also travelling from Japan to Nanjing yesterday was Sayoko Yamauchi, who is campaigning for Mr Azuma.
