"Japan removes its cloak of secrecy over gallows" by Hiroko Tabuchi, New York Times | August 28, 2010
TOKYO — The Japanese government opened up its execution chambers for the first time yesterday, taking journalists on a tour of Tokyo’s main gallows. The insides were stark: a trapdoor, a Buddha statue, and a ring for the noose....
Of the Group of Eight industrialized nations, only the United States and Japan use capital punishment....
Japan has long been criticized by human rights activists for its capital punishment system. The UN Human Rights Committee, which monitors civil and political rights, has urged Japan to consider abolishing the death penalty, citing the large number of crimes that could bring a death sentence, the lack of pardoning, the solitary confinement of inmates, and executions at advanced ages and despite signs of mental illness.
Japan also has a 99 percent conviction rate, a figure critics attribute to widespread use of forced confessions.
Torture will get you that kind of return, yeah.
A series of false convictions has surfaced in recent months, including one of a 63-year-old man who had served 17 years of a life sentence for the murder of a 4-year-old girl.
Torture will get you that kind of return, yeah.
He was released after prosecutors admitted that his confession was a fabrication made under duress and DNA tests showed he was innocent. Critics say there is a high possibility that some of those on death row are innocent.
Same as here in AmeriKa -- which is why the death penalty should be done away with altogether. No way of correcting that mistake.
Inmates on death row are not told when they will be executed until the last minute — a procedure Japanese officials say prevents panic among inmates — and their family members and lawyers are informed only afterward, as are the news media.
Inmates can remain on death row as long as 40 years....
A large majority of Japan’s population supports capital punishment.
Will of the people then.
A recent government survey showed that 86 percent of respondents are in favor of state executions for the worst crimes.
Until they are falsely accused, of course.
All executions are carried out by hanging. Foreign news outlets, including The New York Times, were barred from the visit, despite repeated requests to take part.
Times was barred?
:-)
According to accounts in local news outlets, journalists were taken to the execution site in a bus with closed curtains, because its exact location is kept secret. There are seven such sites across Japan, the Justice Ministry said.
I hope they all made it back okay.
--more--"
