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Court exonerates world’s longest-serving death-row prisoner after 50 years
How would it feel to spend a whole 50 years inside the prison world with death practically staring you in the face, knowing that you are innocent of the offence for which you were accused, tried and convicted and about to die, only for you to be vindicated and eventually freed?
This is the mystery only Iwao Hakamada, 88-year-old Japanese, now holding the unenviable record as the world’s longest-serving death row prisoner could solve after he was acquitted on Thursday, more than half a century after his murder conviction, with a Japanese court, which earlier convicted him for murder, finally exonerating him, having found that evidence that led to his ordeal, were trumped up.
Hakamada, the former youthful boxer bubbling with energy, now a frail, ailing old man, had his freedom eventually pronounced by a judge in the Japanese court following the outcome of his retrial, which even took another stretch of 10 years to decide after was released from prison in 2014, based on new evidence that he could be innocent and strident advocacy by humanitarian bodies.
Though Hakamada, was not in court to witness the verdict, his 91-year-old sister Hideko, who he now presently lives with bowed deeply to the judge who declared Hakamada innocent, saying: “Everyone — we won the acquittal, it’s all thanks to your support.”
The nonagenarian, who was said to be an advocate of her brother’s innocence and spoken for him, was said to have spoken amid welling tears and cracking voices, outside the Shizuoka District Court, as she betrayed much her emotions, apparently in recollection of the ordeal the family went through as Hakamada spent 46 years on death row after being convicted in 1968 of robbing and killing his boss, wife and their two teenage children.
The deceased victims were said to have been stabbed multiple times, when their bodies were retrieved from the wreck of their homes, said to have engulfed by fire, believed to have been set by their killer, but the evidence that nailed Hakamada, was the blood-stained clothes which was seen at the scene of the crime.
But the court, which had convicted him on the evidence, had on Thursday held that the blood did not match his after a DNA test and forensic analysis, with revelations that the investigators actually deliberately smeared the clothes with the blood to nail him.
The young man was said to have beaten repeatedly by interrogators to accept culpability for the crime after an initial denial, a development, which the court captured thus: “Inhumane interrogations meant to force a statement… by imposing mental and physical pain.
“The prosecution’s records were obtained by effectively infringing on the defendant’s right to remain silent, under circumstances extremely likely to elicit a false confession.”
The court session was said to have been witnessed by hundreds of people, who queued in the morning to try to secure a seat for the verdict in the case which ended in Hakamada’s favour, though, Japanese media say that prosecutors have two weeks to appeal.
Review of death row cases are said to be quite few in Japan, one of the few major industrialised democracies still retaining capital punishment, with Hakamada being the fifth death row inmate granted a retrial in Japan’s post-war history, with the other four, resulting in exonerations, which has strengthened the push for deeper and stronger overview of the justice system in the country.
Hideyo Ogawa, Hakamada’s lawyer, told reporters that his client “sometimes seems like he lives in a world of fantasy after decades of detention, mostly in solitary confinement. He felt he was fighting a bout every day. Once you think you can’t win, there is no path to victory.”
Hakamada, who appeared not to be immediately aware of the decision, after Japanese media reported that supporters had removed the batteries from his TV remote control on Thursday, was filmed shortly after the decision leaving home to go for a walk, dressed in a short-sleeved shirt and a green hat.
The Supreme Court upheld Hakamada’s death sentence in 1980 but his supporters kept up the fight to reopen the case, which led to the granting of retrial in 2014, leading to his release from prison, with nine more years of waiting for the process to commence last year.
“He is running in contempt of the court. Justice Lifu should be arrested because he is acting in contempt of the court which is a criminal act,” were the exact words with which the African Democratic Congress (ADC), demonstrated its angst over the court ruling on Monday, ordering its de-registration as a political party in Nigeria.
A furious Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesman of the party, told his host while appearing as a guest on Monday’s edition of Politics Today, a public affairs programme on Channels Television that the judge of the Abuja Federal High Court who gave the order was actually playing with fire because of the consequences.
Directly accusing him of playing the script of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to ensure that President Bola Tinubu emerged the sole candidate for the 2027 presidential election, the party spokesman, was emphatic that the plan would not work, as head or tail, ADC must be on the ballot in all the elections.
Hear him: “There is a Court of Appeal order saying don’t hear this case until October 27. So, on what basis? You can’t place something on nothing. The Court of Appeal said don’t act on this until I hear it on October 27. So, on what basis did he deliver the judgement
“So, for us in the African Democratic Congress, what we’re convinced and they know is what they have done has no leg to stand on legally. What they want to do is to create doubts in the minds of the people that this ADC has too many legal cases, can we actually run on this? And to distract us. But we’re not distracted.
“We’re very clear. It was in spite of all they have done since ADC came on board that we ran one of the best and one of the most comprehensive direct primaries in the history of democracy in Nigeria. So, we are strong enough to withstand this. And that’s why I’m saying that we are going to contest in 2027. We’re ADC. We don’t buckle before dictatorship.”
Stressing on the implication of the judgement, which also affected Accord Party (AP), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) for allegedly failing to meet constitutional and electoral performance requirements, following a suit by the National Forum of Former Legislators, he said it portended grave danger.
He added: “We are not surprised. We know that the Nigerian people believe that there is a problem with the judiciary, but what we did not expect is the level of judicial rascality that was demonstrated today.
“What we are saying is that we reject it in its totality, and we are saying that the people behind this are playing with fire. Hundreds, if not thousands, have obtained nomination forms and contested elections and emerged as candidates on the platform of the ADC.”
Peter Obi, candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), in the 2027 presidential election, is peeved at the decision of the Federal High Court, Abuja, ordering the de-registration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), saying the move is a heavy blow and dangerous to Nigeria’s democracy.
Justice Peter Lifu, who made the order, based on an action brought by National Forum of Former Legislators, agreed that the parties, including Accord Party (AP), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), failed to meet the requirement for continued existence in Nigeria.
But Obi, who left the ADC coalition to join the NDC, incidentally, based on what he explained resulted from the multiple court cases hanging on its neck, expressed his disenchantment, in a statement by the Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR), on Monday.
Signed by Ibrahim Umar, its spokesman, the group quoted the former Governor of Anambra State as decrying the growing damage to the nation’s sacred institutions on the altar of politics.
Stressing that the rise of nations depended on stronger institutions devoid of political influences, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, wrote on his X platform: “When the controversy surrounding the removal of the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, unfolded, I expressed a concern to a friend: that the greatest damage might not be immediate, but the message it sends about the sanctity and independence of our institutions to the world.
“Strong economies are built on trust. Investors can manage security risks, policy risks, and even market risks. What they fear most is uncertainty in the rule of law and a judiciary that is perceived to be vulnerable to political pressure.
“Today, many Nigerians have lost confidence in systems that should protect them. Businesses increasingly request that their contracts be governed by foreign jurisdictions because they have greater confidence in those institutions than in our own. That should concern every patriot.
“We must never sacrifice our sacred institutions on the altar of politics. Nations rise when institutions are stronger than individuals. The Federal High Court judgment ordering the deregistration of the ADC and other political parties is just one of those activities that further reduces the common man’s trust in our legal systems. It should be reversed.
“I pledge that we will restore the dignity, independence, and integrity of the judiciary. The common man must have a voice. The business community must be protected from legal uncertainty and intimidation. Justice must be impartial, accessible, and respected by all. To our judges, legal luminaries, senior advocates, and lawyers: this is your moment. Rise, defend the rule of law, take back your country! A new Nigeria is POssible.”
Not even Lamine Yamal’s second half introduction could help Spain break through the defence of debutants, Cape Verde, in their first ever meeting, as the ongoing World Cup event produced another one of the stunning results on Monday.
Yamal, the Barcelona superstar just recovering from a near two-month hamstring injury, was brought into the game in the second half to zest up the one-time world champion, but failed to break down the Cape Verde’s dogged defence.
Spain’s in the game played in Atlanta, one of the cities hosting the three-nation Mundial, displayed the same dismal outing, which saw them offering far less than the quality, which saw them lifting the trophy for the first time in 2010.
The European champions, which have not won a knockout game ever since, failed to dominate the African side, replicating their less than impressing outings and their eventual exit in 2018 and 2022 editions, even with the claims of coach Luis de la Fuente that the squad was the best in the competition, Spain were considered among the pre-tournament.
Neither Yamal nor Nico Williams, who also was hit by an injury-disrupted season at Athletic Bilbao and was not introduced until the 87th minute, were able to rise to the occasion against the 500,000 people African side, ranked 67 in the world, which is making their debut on the global stage.
In stark contrast to the searing temperatures faced by some other sides, Atlanta’s state-of-the-art air conditioned stadium meant there was no excuses for the slow tempo of Spain’s build-up.
Indeed the mid-half hydration break was met by boos with fans frustrated at the break in play despite the cool conditions.
The only serious move from the European champions only came at the sixth minute to half-time, when Marc Cucurella, fresh for sealing his move from Chelsea to Real Madrid, sent over a teasing cross that Ferran Torres turned onto the crossbar and Cabo Verde goalkeeper Vozinha got back on his feet to turn Mikel Oyarzabal’s looping header over the bar.
Even after the break, the Blue Sharks, were also able to hold back from the onslaught as they did in the first half, where Vozinho, managed to make another superlative save against Aymeric Laporte’s header just before half-time.
Despite the excitement from the crowd after he was introduced, Yamal, billed as one of the stars of the tournament, failed to create any magic with his first touch being the set-up of a decent opening for fellow substitute Mikel Merino which was too close to Vozinha.
In fact, Cabo Verde billed to take on Uruguay in Miami, nearly snatched a famous victory in the final minute of the 90 when Dani Borges planted a header too close to Unai Simon, who saved the occasion, to prevent the former world champions, billed to face Saudi Arabia in Atlanta on Sunday from humiliation.
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