Iwao Hakamada, 44 Year Awaits Death Penalty

                            

TOKYO, KOMPAS.com - There never was a benchmark for sure how long a death row inmate awaiting execution of sentence. However, the time already spent waiting Iwao Hakamada (77) is very long. Since been sentenced to death, he was waiting for the implementation of the execution period of 44 years and 5 months.

Iwao Hakamada was sentenced to death in September 1968. Thus, his name entered into the Guinness record books as the death row inmate who waited the longest sentence in the world. However, a condition exacerbated by the emergence Hakamada alleged that the court was wrong to punish him.

Iwao Hakamada found guilty of burning the residence of the owner of a company miso -a type of traditional Japanese food in Shizuoka Prefecture in June 1966. In the fire, the owner of the house and three relatives were killed.

Hakamada, a former boxing champion, had worked at the company and checked intensively for 23 days before finally confess. In fact, the clothes were found at the scene did not match the body Hakamada. The weapon allegedly used Hakamada was not in accordance with the wounds of the victims.

In court, appealing Hakamada confession and said, as long as the police checked, he was not given food and drink, beaten, and only allowed to talk to his lawyer as three times. However, the court nevertheless sentenced to death Hakamada.

Two judges on the court with confidence Hakamada sentenced to death. Meanwhile, the three judges feel there is nothing wrong with that decision and decided to quit his job and become a lawyer.

The former judge, Norimichi Kumamato, since then helped many an appeal by a team of lawyers Hakamada up to the Supreme Court. Unfortunately, all efforts failed.

One request that the case be re-examined now being considered based on DNA evidence, although Hakamada's attorney acknowledged his client's mental condition declined rapidly. Since August 2010, Hakamada refused to meet with his family.

Hakamada's case reinforces criticism of Amnesty International to Japan, which carry the death penalty again after being stopped for 20 months. Currently there are 130 death row awaiting execution.