A mock war crimes tribunal, putting Japan in the dock for the Imperial Army's treatment of wartime sex slaves, has opened in Tokyo. During the five-day hearing, 78 former comfort women will give evidence of their suffering at the hands of the Japanese army during the 1930s and 1940s. The tribunal is based on an indictment against Japan's wartime government, former Emperor Hirohito and senior military officers, for setting up and operating military brothels as part of the war effort. It follows years of fighting for redress and failed legal suits. Representatives from nine Asian countries are in Tokyo for the mock trial which, while not legally binding, is highly symbolic. “We are still waiting for our dignity to be restored,” Jan Ruff-O'Herne.

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