Exoneration of Japan's Longest-Serving Death Row Inmate Sparks Debate

An 88-year-old former boxer, Iwao Hakamada, was acquitted in a retrial for a 1966 quadruple murder by the Shizuoka District Court. The ruling acknowledged fabricated evidence and reversed the previous decision, making Hakamada the world's longest-serving death row inmate. His case renews discussions on Japan's death penalty system.

In a landmark decision on Thursday, the Shizuoka District Court acquitted 88-year-old Iwao Hakamada, a former boxer, in a retrial for a 1966 quadruple murder. The court's groundbreaking ruling reversed the previous conviction, citing multiple fabrications of evidence.

Hakamada's acquittal makes him the fifth death-row inmate found not guilty in postwar Japan. His case, which saw him spend 48 years behind bars, could reignite the debate surrounding the abolition of capital punishment in the country.

The court's presiding judge, Koshi Kunii, highlighted the flawed investigation and Hakamada's wrongful conviction based on false confessions and tampered evidence. Following the ruling, rights groups have called for a comprehensive review of Japan's judicial system to prevent such injustices in the future.

(With inputs from agencies.)