NOW WE WANT TO TURN TO A VERY
SERIOUS STORY THAT WE HAVE
COVERED FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.
TAKING A TWISTED TURN.
THE U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT HAS
RULED THAT A FORMER GREEN BERET
AND HIS SON CAN BE EXTRADITED TO
JAPAN TO FACE CHARGES FOR AIDING
THE FORMER NISSAN CEO, CARLOS
GHOSN.
IN HIS ESCAPE FROM JAPAN.
HERE IS MR. GHOSN EXPLAINING TO
ME THE TORTURE THAT HE
ENDURINGED WHEN I SPOKE WITH HIM
AFTER HIS OWN INCARCERATION IN
JAPAN.
>> OBVIOUSLY, I’M NOT GOING TO
MAKE A VERY FULL DISCUSSION BUT
YOU HAVE THE LIFE ALL THE TIME
IN THE CELL, YOU CAN SHOWER
TWICE A WEEK, YOU HAVE ONLY 30
MINUTES EXPOSURE TO THE LIGHT
AND ONLY DURING THE WORKING DAYS
BECAUSE DURING THE WEEKEND
THERE’S NOT ENOUGH STAFF TO
ALLOW YOU TO GET OUT AND SEE THE
LIGHT.
BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS
INTERROGATION CAN TAKE PLACE AT
ANY MOMENT, IT GOES UP TO EIGHT
HOURS A DAY.
AND WITHOUT THE PRESENCE OF YOUR
LAWYER.
MARIA: THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM IN
JAPAN HAS A 99.4% CONVICTION
RATE.
SO THEY TORTURE YOU THE WAY THAT
CARLOS GHOSN WAS JUST TELLING US
TO GET YOU TO AGREE AND ADMIT
THAT IN FACT YOU ARE GUILTY.
MICHAEL TAYLOR, WHO HELPED GHOSN
ESCAPE, IS NOW FACING A SIMILAR
FATE.
HE JOINED ME ON THE TELEPHONE
EXCLUSIVELY FROM NORFOLK COUNTY
CORRECTIONAL CENTER IN DEDHAM,
MASSACHUSETTS.
>> WE’VE BEEN HELD HERE FOR SIX
MONTHS NOW, SINCE MAY 20th.
AND THE JAPANESE HAVE REQUESTED
OUR EXTRADITION.
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND
STATE DEPARTMENT HAVE BOTH
AGREED AND WE’RE STANDING BY,
WAITING TO BE EXTRADITED.
OUR ATTORNEYS ARE DOING THE BEST
THEY CAN BUT IT’S A DIFFICULT
SITUATION BECAUSE YOU DON’T HAVE
THE SAME CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS
WITH THE EXTRADITION TREATY
BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND
JAPAN AS YOU WOULD AS A NORMAL
CITIZEN.
MARIA: NOW, I UNDERSTAND YOUR
SITUATION, THE U.S. HAS THIS
EXTRADITION TREATY WITH JAPAN
AND THAT MEANS IF JAPAN
OFFICIALS WANT YOU BACK IN
JAPAN, THE U.S. IS SUPPOSED TO
SEND YOU THERE.
BUT YOU ARE A U.S. CITIZEN, YOU
ARE A FORMER MILITARY MAN.
YOU ARE A GREEN BERET AND YOU
HAVE EXPERIENCE IN HELPING
PEOPLE GET ABDUCTED PEOPLE.
SO HERE’S A PICTURE OF YOU WITH
YOUR SQUAD.
I’VE GOT A PILE OF LETTERS HERE
FROM MOTHERS WHO THEY SAY YOU
RESCUED THEIR CHILDREN WHEN THEY
WERE ABDUCTED.
TELL ME ABOUT THIS SKILL THAT
YOU HAVE.
>> WELL, IT’S JUST BEING ABLE TO
GET INTO CERTAIN AREAS TO HELP
U.S. CITIZENS THAT THE
GOVERNMENT COULDN’T HELP.
I’D OFTEN GET CALLED BY THE FBI
OR THE STATE DEPARTMENT AND
SAYING HEY, ESSENTIALLY WE CAN’T
DO ANYTHING TO HELP THIS
AMERICAN FAMILY AND THE CHILD’S
BEEN ABDUCTED AND TAKEN
OVERSEAS.
BECAUSE THE AREA’S DIFFICULT, WE
DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO IT, CAN YOU
HELP.
OF COURSE I’M GOING TO HELP A
FELLOW CITIZEN AND WE GET IT
DONE.
THAT’S THE BOTTOM LINE.
WE SAVE THOSE LIVES AND BRING
THEM BACK HOME WHERE THEY
BELONG.
YETERYET HERE WE STAND GETTING R
TO BE EXTRADITED TO A COUNTRY
THAT’S KNOWN FOR TORTURE.
MARIA: TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED.
CARLOS GHOSN REACHED OUT TO YOU
TO HELP HIM GET OUT OF JAIL
WHILE HE WAS BEING TORTURED BY
JAPANESE OFFICIALS.
>> HE DID NOT REACH OUT TO HE
ME.
OTHER PEOPLE DID.
THEY TOLD ME HE IS BEING
TORTURED.
I HAD NEVER THOUGHT THAT IN A
MILLION YEARS BECAUSE I THOUGHT
THAT JAPAN WAS A COUNTRY SIMILAR
TO OURS.
BUT IN FACT, THEY DO TORTURE
PEOPLE.
EVEN AS RECENTLY AS JULY 28th,
2020, THEIR MINISTER OF JUSTICE
HELD A CONFERENCE SAYING THEY’VE
GOT TO STOP TORTURING PEOPLE, SO
ON AND SO FORTH SO THE REST OF
THE WORLD DOESN’T LOOK AT THEM
THIS WAY.
BUT YEAH, HIS FAMILY REACHED OUT
TO ME, AN INTERMEDIARY,
EXPLAINING HE’S BEING TORTURED.
AFTER I DID SOME RESEARCH AND
CHECKED WITH THE LEGAL COUNSEL,
FOUND OUT THAT JUMP ON BAIL IS
NOT A CRIME, HE IS DECIDED ON
HE’S BEING TORTURED SO LET’S
STOP THE TORTURE.
MARIA: WAS IT YOUR IDEA TO HELP
HIM TO ESCAPE BY PUTTING HIM IN
A MUSIC BOX, TO GET HIM OUT OF
JAPAN AND FLY HIM TO BEIRUT.
>> WE WERE ADD A ADVISED NOT TO
INFORMATION ON OTHER PEOPLE WHO
HAD THE IDEA, BEST NOT TO
COMMENT ON THAT PART.
SUFFICE TO SARKS HE’S NOT BEING
-- SUFFICE TO SAY HE’S NOT BEING
TORTURED ANYMORE AND HE’S SAFE
IN HIS OWN COUNTRY.
MARIA: IN MAY OF THIS YEAR,
MARSHALLS CAME TO YOUR HOUSE,
PUT YOU IN JAIL.
WALK US THROUGH WHEN YOU WERE
FIRST ARRESTED.
>> IT WAS PROBABLY AROUND 4:30
IN THE MORNING, KNOCKS ON THE
DOOR, IT WAS U.S. MARSHALS.
NOT SURE HOW MANY, MAYBE 15 OR
20.
THEY DID HAVE AN ARREST A AN ARM
PERSONNEL CARRIER WITH THEM, M4
ASSAULT RIFLES, BODY ARMOR.
THAT’S WHAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED
TO DO.
THEY WERE VERY PROFESSIONAL.
THEY LOADED US INTO VEHICLES AND
TOOK US INTO THE NORFOLK COUNTY
JAIL, BASED OFF THE REQUEST BY
THE JAPANESE PROSECUTORS THAT
WE’RE SUPPOSED TO BE DETAINED
AND THEN ACCORDING TO THE
TREATY, AGAIN YOUR
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS ARE ASIDE.
YOU DON’T HAVE ALL THOSE OF
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS THAT WE
NORMALLY HAVE AS AMERICAN
CITIZENS WHEN IT COMES TO A
TREATY BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO HAVE
VERY HIGH SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
TO GET BAIL.
SO WE’RE NOT ABLE TO HAVE BAIL.
SO WE’VE BEEN IN JAIL FOR SIX
MONTHS NOW.
MARIA: YOU ARE ALSO IMPRISONED
WITH YOUR SON WHO IS 26 YEARS
OLD OF.
WHAT DOES YOUR SON HAVE TO DO
WITH ALL OF THIS?
WAS HE INVOLVED IN THE ESCAPE OF
CARLOS GHOSN?
>> HE IS NOT INVOLVED
WHATSOEVER.
THAT’S ANOTHER TRAVESTY OF THIS
THING.
HE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT
WHATSOEVER.
HOWEVER, YOU’RE NOT ABLE TO
PRODUCE ANY EVIDENCE BECAUSE
THEY ONLY NEED TO SHOW PROBABLE
CAUSE WHICH IS A VERY LOW
STANDARD TO HAVE PEOPLE ARRESTED
AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY EXTRADITED
TO JAPAN AND THERE’S A REASON
WHY THERE’S ONLY TWO COUNTRIES
THAT HAVE EXTRADITION TREATIES
WITH JAPAN, WHICH IS SOUTH KOREA
AND THE UNITED STATES.
NO OTHER COUNTRY ON EARTH HAS AN
EXTRADITION TREATY WITH THEM FOR
GOOD REASON AND IT’S DIFFICULT
TO SAY HOW CAN WE BE THE BEACON
OF HUMAN RIGHTS WHEN WE’RE
TAKING OUR CITIZENS AND --
DURING A WORLDWIDE PANDEMIC AND,
YOU KNOW, THERE’S REALLY NO
CONVICTION OR OF LACKING
EVIDENCE AND WE’RE TOLD THAT
JUMP ON BAIL IS NOT A CRIME
THERE AND YOU’RE GOING TO PUT US
ON A PLANE AND SHIP US OVER
THERE, ESPECIALLY DISABLED
AMERICAN VETERANS DO YOU DURING
WORLDWIDE PANDEMIC.
MARIA: I KNEW FROM THE GET-GO
WHAT HAD TAKEN PLACE HERE.
THE S JAPANESE GOVERNMENT DID
NOT WANT CARLOS GHOSN MERGE
NISSAN WHICH IS A JAPANESE JEWEL
WITH RENAULT AND THEY WERE GOING
TO MERGE THOSE TWO COMPANIES AND
CARLOS GHOSN WAS TREATED
INCREDIBLY UNFAIRLY, HE TOLD ME
SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HE
FACED.
THERE IS A 99.5% CONVICTION RATE
IN JAPAN SO BASICALLY WHAT THEY
WANT TO DO IS JUST TORTURE YOU
UNTIL THEY GET A CONVICTION SO
THEY CAN PUT YOU IN JAIL.
YOU WOULD BE FACING THAT, SHOULD
YOU GO BACK TO JAPAN.
>> THAT’S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT,
MARIA.
THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT THEY’RE
GOING TO DO TO US.
THERE’S NO SURPRISE WHATSOEVER.
THAT’S WHY IT’S INCREDIBLY
SHOCKING THAT OUR STATE
DEPARTMENT WOULD WITHOUT
EXPLANATION STICK TWO AMERICAN
CITIZENS ON A PLANE TO GET
TORTURED.
MARIA: YOU WERE A GREEN BERET.
YOU HAD TOP SECRET CLEARANCE.
YOU PARTICIPATED IN SEVERAL
MISSIONS AYOU CROSS THE WORLD.
HAVE YOU REACHED OUT TO ANY
MILITARY OFFICIALS TO ENSURE
THAT THE U.S. GOVERNMENT
UNDERSTANDS WHAT YOU’RE UP
AGAINST, A FORMER MILITARY MAN
OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
NOW BEING POTENTIALLY SHIPPED
BACK TO JAPAN AND FACING
EXTRADITION AND THEN FACING
POTENTIAL TORTURE BY THE
JAPANESE GOVERNMENT.
BECAUSE CLEARLY THEY’RE
EMBARRASSED THAT CARLOS GHOSN
LEFT.
>> THAT’S ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
THE MILITARY VETERANS
ORGANIZATIONS ARE AWARE OF THIS,
CONNECTINGVETS.ORG IS THE
REPORTER THERE, JACK MURPHY,
HE’S DONE A GREAT JOB REPORTING
ON THIS AND KEEPING PEOPLE
UP-TO-SPEED.
AT THE END OF THE DAY IT’S THE
STATE DEPARTMENT WHO MAKES THE
FINAL DECISION, NOT THE COURTS.
AND I GUESS ONLY THE PRESIDENT
CAN TURN THIS AROUND.
I CAN’T BELIEVE FOR OF ONE
SECOND THAT OUR PRESIDENT OF
THIS UNITED STATES, PRESIDENT
TRUMP, HE KNOWS ABOUT THIS
BECAUSE I JUST CAN’T SEE HIM
SENDING HIS VETERANS AND
AMERICAN CITIZENS OVERSEAS TO BE
TORTURED FOR SOMETHING THAT
SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED AND
THERE’S NO CASE PRECEDENT IN IT
EITHER.
MARIA: WHAT’S YOUR CONNECTION
TO CARLOS GHOSN?
YOUR WIFE IS LEBANESE, IS THAT
RIGHT?
I KNOW THAT CARLOS GHOSN IS
LEBANESE.
>> YEAH, THEY’RE ACTUALLY
RELATED.
AND WHAT I UNDERSTAND THAT IN
JAPAN THAT IF THERE’S A
RELATIONSHIP TO THE PERSON WHO
JUMPED BAIL YOU CAN’T BE CHARGED
ANYWAY.
SO THE THING JUST KEEPS GETTING
MORE BIZARRE.
UNFORTUNATELY, ONCE YOU’RE OVER
IN JAPAN, IN THEIR JUDICIAL
SYSTEM YOU’RE SUBJECTED TO THE
TORTURE AND WHATEVER CONDITION
THEY SO DESIRE.
MARIA: HOW ARE YOU BEING
TREATED RIGHT NOW, MICHAEL?
>> THE MANAGEMENT AND THE STAFF
HERE ARE PHENOMENAL.
THEY’RE VERY PROFESSIONAL.
THEY HAVE A GREAT ATMOSPHERE.
THEY TREAT EVERYBODY WITH THE
UTMOST RESPECT.
SO I REALLY CAN’T SAY ENOUGH
ABOUT THAT.
BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS, IT’S
STILL THE COUNTY JAIL.
MARIA: I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR.
YOU WANT THE STATE DEPARTMENT
AND PRESIDENT TRUMP TO
UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE UP
AGAINST.
YOU ARE BEING EXTRADITED TO
JAPAN FOR HELPING CARLOS GHOSN
GET OUT OF PRISON AND YOU ARE
ASKING PLEASE NOT TO SEND YOU TO
JAPAN.
>> THAT’S CORRECT.
BUT HE WAS NOT IN PRISON.
HE WAS FREE ON BAIL.
MARIA: MY THANKS TO MICHAEL
TAYLOR WHO IS SITTING IN A
MASSACHUSETTS PRISON.
I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I
REACHED OUT TO THE STATE
DEPARTMENT AND THE DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE.
I’VE NOT HEARD BACK IN AN
OFFICIAL CAPACITY.
ONE SOURCE DID TELL ME,
REMEMBER, A GREEN BERET TAKES AN
OATH OF OFFICE TO FOLLOW THE
LAW.
THIS GUY DID NOT.
ACCORDING TO MY SOURCE.
CARLOS GHOSN HIMSELF WILL JOIN