Japan | Iwao Hakamada, acquitted of 1966 murders, to sue state for defamation

A Japanese man acquitted of a 1966 quadruple murder in a retrial is set to file a lawsuit against the state for defamation after the prosecutor general called the ruling that found him not guilty "unacceptable," his lawyers said Thursday.

Iwao Hakamada, 88, was acquitted by the Shizuoka District Court last September after spending nearly half a century on death row before new evidence led to his release in 2014. He was recognized that year as the world's longest-serving death row prisoner.

While the prosecutors did not appeal, Prosecutor General Naomi Unemoto said in a statement issued Oct. 8 that the ruling had "many problems in its reasoning," including the part that found evidence had been fabricated, noting the court did not provide specific proof to back up its arguments.

Hakamada's lawyers argue that Unemoto's comment implied Hakamada was guilty of the murders and damages his reputation.

The team also plans to file a separate lawsuit seeking national redress over Hakamada's wrongful conviction. Since his mental state deteriorated due to decades of incarceration, the lawyers will consult his legal guardian to make a final decision on both lawsuits.

Despite expressing dissatisfaction with the ruling, Unemoto apologized for leaving Hakamada "in an unstable legal status for a considerably long time" and announced the prosecutors are not appealing to avoid prolonging such a situation. His acquittal was finalized the following day.

The former professional boxer was a live-in employee at a miso maker when he was arrested in 1966 for allegedly killing the firm's senior managing director, his wife and two of their children. They were found dead from stab wounds at their house in Shizuoka Prefecture, which had been burned down.

Indicted for murder, robbery and arson, his death sentence was finalized in 1980.

The retrial began in October 2023, with Hakamada's elderly sister Hideko appearing in court hearings on behalf of her brother.

In the ruling handed down on Sept. 26, the Shizuoka District Court said investigators had fabricated evidence, including 5 pieces of clothing Hakamata allegedly wore during the incident. The items played a key role in his conviction.

The court also said the confession made during questioning by investigators was "effectively fabricated," as it was "forced by inflicting physical and mental pain," calling his interrogation "inhumane."

Source: kyodonews.net, Staff, February 14, 2025

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