Japan, (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 26th Sep, 2024) 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 after obtaining a retrial of his murder conviction.
Iwao Hakamada, 88, was jailed under the death penalty for 46 years until he was freed in 2014 pending retrial.
The former boxer was first convicted in 1968 of killing his boss, the man’s wife and their two teenage children.
But over the years, questions arose over fabricated evidence and coerced confessions, sparking scrutiny of Japan’s justice system, which critics say holds suspects “hostage”.
Hundreds of people queued in the morning at the Shizuoka District Court to try and secure a seat for the verdict in the murder saga which has gripped the nation.
Hakamada’s health is delicate and he was not expected to attend, but his 91-year-old sister Hideko, who often speaks for him, was welcomed by a cheering crowd.
Smiling in a white jacket, she walked towards the courthouse with the defence team, occasionally stopping to thank supporters.
“For so long, we have fought a battle that has felt endless,” Hideko had told reporters in July.
“But this time, I believe it will be settled.”
Prosecutors have said they remain convinced of his guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
