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After acquittal of ex-death row inmate, debate needed on Japan's death penalty

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Japan should be ensuring the safety of its citizens, but instead it is taking people's lives. Is it acceptable to maintain the ultimate penalty under such circumstances? This is a serious question for society. The acquittal of 88-year-old Iwao Hakamada, who had been handed the death penalty, has been finalized after prosecutors decided not to appeal the verdict issued by the Shizuoka District Court during his retrial.

Iran: Juvenile offender hanged

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A youth has been hanged in Iran after being held in prison since his arrest at the age of 14 for accidentally killing a friend, according to information received from Iran.

The execution of Rahim Nosrallahzadeh in prison in the city of Tabriz is the latest in a surge in hangings in the regime under so-called moderate Hassan Rouhani.

More than 1,000 prisoners, including at least 8 juveniles, have been put to death in the past year.

The age of criminal responsibility in Iran is known as 'maturity', meaning 9 lunar years for girls and 15 lunar years for boys.

Mr Norallahzadeh is one of several juvenile offenders have to have been executed in Tabriz prison. Others have been named as Fardin Jafarian, Ahad Akbari, Behnam Hakimkhani, Mohsen Mogahdam.

The execution of people for crimes committed when they were under 18 is strictly prohibited under Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 37 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, both of which Iran has ratified.

Under Article 6(4) of the ICCPR, anyone sentenced to death has the right to seek pardon or commutation of the sentence.

Source: NCR-Iran, December 2, 2014
Location: Tabriz, East Azerbaijan, Iran
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