An 88-year-old former boxer has been found not guilty in a retrial of a quadruple murder in Japan in 1966, ending his ordeal as a The longest-serving prisoner on death row of history.
A ruling by Tokyo’s Shizuoka District Court exonerated Iwao Hakamadawho spent decades on death row, an experience that began with his conviction and sentencing by the same court in 1968, Amnesty International said.
Hakamada’s 91-year-old sister Hideko, a long-time advocate for the defendant’s acquittal, was seen celebrating outside the court after the verdict.
“We won the acquittal, it’s all thanks to your support. Thank you for so long,” she said, addressing a cheering crowd, CBS News reported.
Hakamada was released from prison in 2014 when a court ordered a retrial based on evidence suggesting his conviction had been based on false accusations by investigators, but he was not cleared of the conviction.
He was allowed to await the new trial at home. because his fragile health and age made him a low flight risk. Then, in 2023, the court finally ruled in his favor, paving the way for the latest retrial.
The blood stains that changed everything
According to Japanese national broadcaster NHK, the court acquitted Hakamada after ruling that vital evidence used to convict the former boxer had been planted long after the murders were committed.
Hakamada was initially convicted of murdering his employer at the miso soybean paste factory where he worked, as well as the man’s family. He was granted a new trial in 2014 and released from prison after evidence emerged DNA evidence that cast doubt on the reliability of his initial conviction.
A central issue in the retrial case was a debate over the color of alleged blood stains on five items of clothing found in a tank used to make miso more than a year after the killings.
Prosecutors had argued that the clothes belonged to Hakamada, but the former boxer’s lawyers argued that the evidence had been planted and that The stains on the clothes would not remain red for such a long period of time. after the incident, according to NHK.
The judge presiding over the retrial agreed with the defense that blood stains would not remain reddish on clothing after being soaked in miso paste for more than a year.
“The investigating authority added blood stains and hid the items in the miso vat long after the incident took place,” said Judge Kunii Koshi. He added that other evidence had also been fabricated.
Amnesty International said Hakamada’s initial conviction had also been based largely on a forced confession.
“During his first trial, Hakamada was convicted of the murder of his employer and his employer’s family, largely on the basis of a forced confession. He admitted to the crime after 20 days of questioning by police. Hakamada proceeded to retract the confession during the trial, claiming that The police had threatened and beaten him“the rights group said in a statement.
Hideyo Ogawa, Hakamada’s lead lawyer, welcomed the verdict outside the courthouse. “The court clearly said that this important evidence had been fabricated, so now the prosecutors no longer have any means to prove the conviction,” Ogawa said. “I think this verdict will put an end to the battle.”
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