'State-sanctioned murder': Ex-Mongolian president urges Japan to debate death penalty

TOKYO -- Former Mongolian President Elbegdorj Tsakhia, who led Mongolia's abolition of the death penalty during his presidency, has called for open debate on the death penalty in Japan during an interview with the Mainichi Shimbun as part of his visit to the country.

Referring to Japan's retention of the death penalty despite an international trend toward abolishing it, Elbegdorj pointed out that if more information is disclosed, public opinion in favor of the death penalty will change and called for transparency in procedures.

Elbegdorj, who was involved in Mongolia's democratization, became prime minister before assuming the presidency in 2009. While in office, he commuted death sentences to life imprisonment and declared a moratorium on executions. Through legal reforms, Mongolia abolished the death penalty in 2017.

If you know the process of the death penalty and the emotional toll it takes on the people involved, you will definitely change your mind.

Initially, there was strong public opposition to the moratorium, but with increased transparency and national debate, public opinion gradually shifted, Elbegdorj said. He further stated, "Crime has also decreased since the abolition of the death penalty. Punishment does not necessarily lead to the maintenance of public safety."

Regarding life imprisonment as an alternative to the death penalty, the former president said, "For the families of the victims, it is better to let them (the offenders) live and reflect on their crimes every day than to end their lives with the death penalty to atone for their sins."

In giving a reason for maintaining the death penalty system in Japan, the Japanese government has cited the results of public opinion polls, stating that "80% of the population accepts the death penalty." 

On this point, Elbegdorj emphasized, "If you know the process of the death penalty and the emotional toll it takes on the people involved, you will definitely change your mind."

According to Amnesty International, 145 countries have abolished the death penalty in law or practice.

Among the 38 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, only Japan, the United States and South Korea retain the death penalty. Japan has not carried out any executions for nearly three years -- an unusually long period in recent times.

Elbegdorj argued, "The death penalty is state-sanctioned murder and against humanity. Now is the time for Japan to discuss the pros and cons of the death penalty."

Source: mainichi.jp, Akira Iida, May 26, 2025

"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."

— Oscar Wilde