Japan man granted retrial after 46 years on death row

LONDON: -- A man who has been on death row for more than four decades has been granted a retrial by a Japanese court.

Iwao Hakamada was sentenced to death in 1968 for killing his boss, the man's wife and their two children.

Hakamada, now 78, confessed after 20 days of interrogation during which he says he was beaten. He later retracted the confession in court.

Japan's police traditionally rely on confessions to prosecute but critics say they are often obtained by force.

In a statement, Amnesty International said Hakamada was believed to be the world's longest-serving death row inmate.

"If ever there was a case that merits a retrial, this is it. Hakamada was convicted on the basis of a forced confession and there remain unanswered questions over recent DNA evidence," said Roseann Rife, East Asia research director at Amnesty International.

Full story: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26762099


-- BBC 2014-03-27

If he is innocent how sad is that, ..... all that time in prison... life wasted....

This is a good example as to why the death penalty should be abolished.

Better late than never...may justice truly be served...

This is a good example as to why the death penalty should be abolished.

He didn't get executed. So what difference would it make.

This is a good example as to why the death penalty should be abolished.

He didn't get executed. So what difference would it make.

But he could have

This is a good example as to why the death penalty should be abolished.

He didn't get executed. So what difference would it make.

But he could have

And there are plenty that have been, and then subsequently found innocent!

Better late than never...may justice truly be served...

all the money in the world couldnt make up for being locked up 46 years for a crime you had nothing to do with

even if he gets released i wouldnt say "justice has been served "

theyve taken away something thats irreplaceable and in the retrial if dna proves hes innocent

its one of the saddest cases ive ever heard off..............

he must have been a mentally strong man once if it took 20 days of beatings to make him sign the "confession'"

that effectively ended his life

Better late than never...may justice truly be served...

all the money in the world couldnt make up for being locked up 46 years for a crime you had nothing to do with

even if he gets released i wouldnt say "justice has been served "

theyve taken away something thats irreplaceable and in the retrial if dna proves hes innocent

its one of the saddest cases ive ever heard off..............

he must have been a mentally strong man once if it took 20 days of beatings to make him sign the "confession'"

that effectively ended his life

EXACTLY!

Better late than never...may justice truly be served...

Justice delayed is justice denied

They can always pardon him posthumously.

But, this guy is actually only getting a retrial. He could be found guilty again.

This is a good example as to why the death penalty should be abolished.

He didn't get executed. So what difference would it make.

Fair enough... how's about we put you on death row for 45 years or so and then ask you what you feel the 'difference' is, hmmm?

They can always pardon him posthumously.

But, this guy is actually only getting a retrial. He could be found guilty again.

Posthumously?Are you for real?

According to the BBC report, the DNA evidence found on the alleged killer's clothes does not match this bloke's DNA. A report I also read on ABC's web page said that this guy is too physically large to fit into the alleged killer's clothes.

Doesn't add up does it. Why did this case take so long to come up for retrial?

Better late than never...may justice truly be served...

Bit late if he is indeed found not guilty...

Sent from my i-mobile i-STYLE 8.2 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Spending 46 years in prison and then being released. What is the first thing he did? What would you do?

This is a good example as to why the death penalty should be abolished.

He didn't get executed. So what difference would it make.

He would have had to think about being murdered for something that he didn't do for 46 years. There is no way to right that wrong.