Ex - Leader Of Japanese Red Army Released After 20 Years In Prison
Shigenobu Fusako, a former leader of the now-disbanded Japanese Red Army militant group, has been released from prison after completing her 20-year term.
Shigenobu, who is now 76 years old, was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison for her involvement in the 1974 seizure of the French Embassy in The Hague, the Netherlands.
It was one of several terrorist attacks staged by the leftist group around the world in the 1970s and 1980s.
Shigenobu left a medical prison in Tokyo by car on Saturday. She was greeted by around 20 of her supporters outside the prison. Some protesters also gathered in the area.
Informed sources say that while she was in prison, Shigenobu underwent four operations to treat cancer.
She told reporters that she'd like to offer her apologies for the harm she and her group inflicted through hostage-taking and other incidents. She said she hopes to concentrate on overcoming her illness while reflecting on her past.
Shigenobu dissolved the militant group in 2001 while she was in prison. However, seven of its members are still on the run.
Japanese police have released a video and images of the fugitives in an effort to gather information on them. They believe that the group remains a threat to public security and plan to keep monitoring Shigenobu.