Jail for Japanese kidney buyer

Kidney-buying doc's jail term upheld

"Presiding Judge Shoji Ogawa said the two defendants had damaged public trust in the organ transplant system, noting Horiuchi procured a kidney solely through financial means
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"The 1997 Organ Transplantation Law bans all trade in organs, while the ethical guidelines of the Japan Society for Transplantation only permit live organ donation between family members to prevent illegal harvesting. The Japan Organ Transplant Network is the only entity permitted to act as an intermediary for organ transplants.

"The law also forbids anyone from either requesting or promising payment for organs and from receiving commissions for mediating illegal transplants, to ensure a level playing field for potential recipients and to encourage voluntary donations from healthy citizens.

"The doctor allegedly tried to sidestep the law by technically adopting the donor "