SHIZUOKA: The world’s longest-serving death row prisoner was acquitted on Thursday, over 50 years after his murder conviction, when a Japanese court determined that evidence had been fabricated.
Iwao Hakamada, an 88-year-old former boxer in poor health, could not attend the court proceedings to hear the verdict of his retrial, which was granted a decade ago following a long campaign by supporters.
However, his 91-year-old sister, Hideko, who often speaks on his behalf, bowed deeply to the judge at the Shizuoka District Court as Hakamada was declared innocent.
Hakamada had spent 46 years on death row after being convicted in 1968 for the murder of his boss, the boss’s wife, and their two teenage children. The ruling revealed that investigators had tampered with evidence, specifically noting that blood-stained clothes were hidden in a tank of miso paste.
It condemned the use of “inhumane interrogations” intended to coerce a confession, highlighting violations of Hakamada’s right to remain silent.
Hundreds gathered outside the court to witness the verdict, which has captivated the nation and raised questions about Japan’s justice system. Hideko had previously expressed her hopes to avoid a prolonged fight, stating, “Don’t force us to fight until I turn 100.”
Japan remains one of the few major industrialized democracies to uphold capital punishment, a policy widely supported by the public. Hakamada is only the fifth death row inmate to be granted a retrial in Japan’s post-war history, and all four prior cases resulted in exonerations.
His lead attorney, Hideyo Ogawa, noted that after decades in solitary confinement, Hakamada sometimes seems disconnected from reality. He described his long struggle for acquittal as “a bout every day,” emphasizing the mental toll it has taken on him.
Following the decision, supporters celebrated outside the court, calling for reforms in Japan’s criminal justice system, often criticized for its “hostage justice” approach.
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International expressed relief and joy over the verdict, recognizing it as a significant acknowledgment of the injustice Hakamada endured for most of his life.
