Advertisement
Death row inmates in Japan sue to abolish ‘cruel’ execution by hanging
- A legal victory would force a stunning shake-up of execution laws in Japan, where public support for capital punishment remains high
- Executions usually take place long after sentencing, with inmates held for years in solitary confinement and only told a few hours before being hanged
Reading Time:1 minute
Why you can trust SCMP
0
Three death row prisoners filed a lawsuit against the Japanese government on Tuesday, arguing that execution by hanging is cruel and should be abolished, their lawyer said.
Japan is one of the few economically developed countries to still have the death penalty, and hanging has been its sole execution method for around a century and a half.
The trio at the Osaka detention centre, whose identities have not been revealed, are “seeking an injunction” against death by hanging, said lawyer Kyoji Mizutani.
They are also demanding compensation of 33 million yen (US$238,000), he added, for the psychological distress caused since they were given the death sentence, all since 2000.
A legal victory would force a stunning shake-up of execution laws in Japan, where public support is high for capital punishment despite international criticism.
More than 100 people are on death row, including many serial killers.
Advertisement