Japan's top court has rejected an appeal by a secretary to a politician accused of election violations. A suspended prison sentence will be finalized for the aide to Diet lawmaker Kawai Anri.

Prosecutors are also likely to file a lawsuit seeking to nullify the election win of Kawai, a former member of the main ruling Liberal Democratic Party, on the basis of guilt by association.

A court in western Japan has handed a suspended prison sentence to a secretary of Upper House lawmaker Kawai Anri for paying campaign staff more than the legal limit during Kawai's run for the Diet last year.

Kawai, a member of Japan's main governing Liberal Democratic Party, was elected to the Upper House in July 2019.