Longest-Serving Death Row Inmate Acquitted in Japan

Iwao Hakamada, Japan's longest-serving death row inmate, was acquitted of a 1966 quadruple murder after spending 45 years on death row. A retrial revealed DNA evidence that cleared him, ending nearly six decades of legal battles and wrongful imprisonment.

A Japanese man, Iwao Hakamada, who held the record for the world's longest time on death row, was acquitted of murder on Thursday, broadcaster NHK reported. This acquittal ends his family's search for justice nearly 60 years after he was wrongfully convicted for a quadruple homicide.

The Shizuoka district court cleared Hakamada, now 88, during a retrial for the 1966 murders in central Japan. Hakamada spent 45 years on death row before being released in 2014 when a court called for a retrial due to questionable evidence.

Initially accused of stabbing his boss and family and setting their home on fire, Hakamada briefly confessed but later maintained his innocence. Despite retracting his confession, he was sentenced to death in 1968, a decision upheld by Japan's Supreme Court in 1980. One of the original judges advocated for a retrial in 2008, which was finally granted when DNA tests showed the bloodstains did not match Hakamada.

Living with his sister Hideko since his release, Hakamada's exoneration was praised by Amnesty International, which called it a 'pivotal moment for justice' and urged Japan to abolish the death penalty. The organization acknowledged the significant injustice Hakamada endured, highlighting his nearly half-century of wrongful imprisonment.

(With inputs from agencies.)