[JURIST] The Miyazaki District Court in Japan [JURIST news archive] dismissed a lawsuit Monday by a group of Chinese men who claim they were forced to work as slave laborers during World War II because the 20-year deadline for filing compensation claims under Japanese law had expired, according to a court spokesperson. The lawsuit sought $1.56 million in damages from the Japanese government and the Mitsubishi Metals Corporation [corporate website] for seven Chinese men who claim they were among the 250 people forcibly brought to the Makimine mine in the town of Hinokage and made to work under severe conditions and with little to no food and often no salary.

In a related ruling March 14, the Tokyo High Court [official backgrounder] held that the present government was not accountable for wrongs committed by Japan's wartime leaders, thereby overturning [JURIST report] a landmark decision that had held both the Japanese government and Rinko Corp. [corporate website] responsible for forcing Chinese citizens into slave labor during World War II. AP has more.