Carlos Ghosn bitterly recalls being interrogated by Japanese authorities for up to 8 hours a day without a lawyer

(Image credit: Hironaka Law Office via Getty Images)

published 8 January 2020

Former Nissan chair Carlos Ghosn told his side of the story Wednesday.

Ghosn, who was arrested multiple times in Japan starting in November 2018 on charges of financial misconduct, escaped house arrest in Tokyo in December and fled to Lebanon, a country where he holds citizenship and there is no extradition treaty with Japan. In his public address Wednesday, the car executive was expected to criticize Japan's justice system. And did he ever.

Ghosn said he felt like a hostage in Japan after his arrest and imprisonment despite having "served" in the country for 17 years. He described the justice system — which has been accused of human rights abuses — as "inhumane" and "anachronistic," while also detailing what his 130 days in prison were like before being placed under house arrest. He said he was only allowed outside of his cell for 30 minutes every day, was given the chance to shower just two times a week, and had restrictions on his medication.

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.