Japan urged to come clean on confessions

Iwao Hakamada was falsely accused for the killing of a family of four in 1966. Since then he has been on Japan’s death row awaiting his end. Unlike the American system, Japan’s death row does not allow the prisoners to know when their date of execution is, therefore adding a stress factor to their already unpleasant experience.

One of the three judges that sentenced Hakamada, has stepped forward to say that he did not believe that Hakamada was guilty despite the forced confession that was obtained from him by the police. Kumamoto, who resigned shortly after Hakamada’s trial is willing to testify as a witness for the attempt to overturn the verdict decided in 1966. Well better 40 years later than never.