The Japanese court has made a groundbreaking decision, acquitting the world’s longest-serving death row inmate after more than fifty years of conviction. Iwao Hakamada, who was sentenced for murder back in 1968, has now been declared not guilty.
In a significant ruling, the Shizuoka District Court affirmed Hakamada’s innocence, acknowledging a retrial that his advocates and he initiated a decade ago. “The court finds the defendant innocent,” proclaimed Judge Koshi Kunii with profound gravity.
Unfortunately, due to health complications, the 88-year-old Hakamada couldn’t attend the hearing. However, his sister, the 91-year-old Hideko, who often acts as his voice, respectfully bowed to the judge multiple times, expressing gratitude and relief.
Throughout the years, numerous doubts emerged regarding the legitimacy of the evidence used against him, alongside allegations of coercive interrogations. These concerns raised serious questions about Japan’s legal framework, prompting critics to label the system as one that keeps suspects essentially “hostages.”
A crowd gathered outside the Shizuoka District Court, braving the morning chill, as they clamored for a glimpse of the verdict in this case that has captivated the nation’s attention. “We have fought an endless battle for so long,” Hideko lamented to the press in July. “But this time, I truly believe we’ll reach a resolution.”
In a unique stance among major industrialized nations, Japan, alongside the United States, continues to implement capital punishment, garnering widespread support from the public.
With this ruling, Hakamada becomes only the fifth death row inmate in Japan’s post-war era to be granted a retrial, joining the ranks of four previous individuals who were ultimately exonerated.
After spending decades primarily in solitary confinement, Iwao Hakamada’s reality has often felt surreal. His lead attorney, Hideyo Ogawa, remarked that he sometimes appeared to inhabit “a whimsical kingdom of fantasy.” It was in 2018 when Hakamada expressed the relentless nature of his fight for liberation, stating, “Each day feels like a new battle.”
He further asserted, “The moment you believe victory is beyond reach, the journey to triumph becomes impossible.” Outside the courthouse, zealous supporters waved flags and carried banners, passionately advocating for his exoneration.
The legal saga took a troubling turn back in 1980 when the Supreme Court upheld his death sentence, yet his advocates continued their tireless campaign to reopen the case. A pivotal moment emerged in 2014 when the court authorized a retrial, raising serious concerns about potential evidence manipulation by the prosecution, leading to Hakamada’s release from prison.
Due to extensive legal maneuvering—including pushback from prosecutors—it wasn’t until the previous year that the retrial commenced. Initially, Hakamada denied the charges of robbery and murder, yet his confession emerged after what he later described as an agonizing police interrogation laced with violence.
Key evidence presented during trials included a set of blood-smeared clothing discovered in a tank of miso, a year following the 1966 killings. Defense attorneys contested the legitimacy of this evidence, arguing that the vibrancy of the bloodstains appeared implausible. Meanwhile, the prosecution contended their own experiments validated the color’s authenticity.
In Japan, the grim reality for death row inmates is stark: they typically receive notice of their impending execution mere hours beforehand. As of December, a staggering 107 individuals awaited their fate on death row.
Hakamada’s situation epitomizes a systemic issue often referred to as “hostage justice” in Japan, remarked Teppei Kasai, an officer with Human Rights Watch focused on Asian affairs. He criticized the country’s methods, asserting, “Suspects are coerced into confessions through prolonged and arbitrary detention,” enduring intimidation during their interrogations.
This case shines a glaring light on the challenges within the Japanese legal system, urging a conversation about justice, accountability, and human rights that cannot be ignored.
