Iwao Hakamada, aged 89, has been awarded $1.4 million by a Japanese court after being exonerated of a murder conviction that resulted in 44 years on death row. His lawyers argued that his confession was coerced and evidence was fabricated, leading to his retrial and acquittal, marking him as the longest-serving death row inmate globally.
Iwao Hakamada, an 89-year-old man, has been awarded $1.4 million by a Japanese court following his exoneration from a murder conviction that led to his 44-year experience on death row. This significant ruling was issued by a district court located in Shizuoka, a city on Japan’s main island, which mandated the government to pay Hakamada 217 million yen.
Hakamada was wrongfully convicted in 1966 for the murder of four individuals. His defense counsel presented evidence suggesting that his confession had been coerced by the police and that evidence had been fabricated, leading to his retrial last year and ultimately acquittal. His case is notable as he is acknowledged as the longest-serving death row inmate in the world, emphasizing the profound implications of his wrongful conviction and subsequent exoneration.
The court’s ruling to compensate Iwao Hakamada underscores the serious failures within the criminal justice system that led to his lengthy imprisonment for a crime he did not commit. His exoneration serves as a powerful reminder of the need for ongoing scrutiny and reform within legal processes to prevent such miscarriages of justice in the future.
Original Source: www.nytimes.com
