Japan revives capital punishment

Mar 31, 2012

Japan has resumed its use of capital punishment after a 20-month break, with an unapologetic government minister signing death warrants for three multiple murders.

Japan has resumed its use of capital punishment after a 20-month break, with an unapologetic government minister signing death warrants for three multiple murders.

The convicts went to the gallows on the orders of the justice minister, who said he was performing his job and acting in line with public opinion, which overwhelmingly supports the death penalty.

“Today, three executions were carried out,” Toshio Ogawa said of the hangings, the first in Japan since July 2010.

“I have carried out my duty as stipulated by law,” the minister said.

Apart from the UU, Japan is the only major industrialized democracy to carry out capital punishment, a practice that has led to repeated protests from European governments and human rights groups.

Amnesty International condemned the executions and said it would write to Ogawa and Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda to protest.

Source: AFP

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