Iwao Hakamada, the world’s longest-serving death row prisoner, has been acquitted by a Japanese court after spending over five decades on death row. Convicted of murder in 1968, Hakamada, now 88, was granted a retrial a decade ago, and the Shizuoka District Court has now ruled him innocent. His case has drawn international attention due to concerns over forced confessions and the fairness of his trial. Hakamada, a former boxer, has maintained his innocence throughout his imprisonment. This ruling marks a significant moment in Japan's legal history and raises questions about the country's death penalty system.
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Longest-serving death row prisoner acquitted in Japan retrial
SHIZUOKA - The world’s longest-serving death row prisoner was acquitted by a Japanese court on Sept 26, more than a half a century after his 1968 murder conviction. Shizuoka District Court ruled that 88-year-old Iwao Hakamada was innocent, AFP reporters said, in a retrial obtained by the former boxer and his supporters a decade ago.
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Longest-serving death row prisoner seeks acquittal in Japan retrial
The world's longest-serving death row prisoner hears from a Japanese court on Thursday if he will again face execution or finally be acquitted, a decade
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A Japanese ex-boxer was world’s longest death row prisoner — after a decade, he’ll find out whether he finally escapes the gallows
The world’s longest-serving death row prisoner hears from a Japanese court today if he will again face execution or finally be acquitted, a decade