Ten years after winning a retrial for his murder conviction, the world’s longest-serving death row inmate will find out on Thursday from a Japanese court whether he will once more face execution or, at last, be declared innocent.
Iwao Hakamada, 88, spent 46 years in prison with the possibility of execution before being released in 2014 pending a new trial.
In 1968, the former boxer was found guilty for the first time of killing his boss, along with the man’s wife and two teenage daughters.
However, over time, concerns about falsified evidence and forced confessions surfaced, drawing criticism to Japan’s legal system, which detractors claim keeps suspects “hostage”.
Hundreds of people were queuing 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.
“For so long, we have fought a battle that has felt endless,” Hakamada’s sister Hideko, 91, told reporters in July. “But this time, I believe it will be settled.”
Prosecutors meanwhile have said they remain convinced of his guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
Japan is the only major industrialised democracy other than the United States to retain capital punishment, a policy that has broad public support.
Hakamada is the fifth death row inmate granted a retrial in Japan’s post-war history. All four previous cases resulted in exoneration.
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