Japanese Court Awards $1.4 Million to Iwao Hakamada, Exonerated after 44 Years
A Japanese court has awarded $1.4 million to Iwao Hakamada, exonerated after 44 years on death row for a murder conviction from 1966. His acquittal followed claims of police coercion and fabricated evidence, marking a significant milestone in addressing wrongful convictions in Japan.
Iwao Hakamada, an 89-year-old man and the presumed longest-serving death row inmate in the world, was awarded $1.4 million by a Japanese court after being exonerated for a 1966 murder conviction. The Shizuoka district court mandated a payment of 217 million yen to Hakamada for his 44 years spent on death row.
Hakamada was originally convicted for the murder of four individuals; however, his defense team claimed that police had coerced a confession and fabricated evidence against him. This led to a retrial in which he was ultimately acquitted last year.
The case of Iwao Hakamada highlights significant issues within the Japanese legal system, particularly concerning wrongful convictions due to coerced confessions. His exoneration and the subsequent compensation reflect a judicial acknowledgment of these past errors and the longstanding impact of wrongful imprisonment.
Original Source: www.nytimes.com
