The equivalent of 1.3 million euros receives an 89-year-old Japanese as compensation. The reason: he spent almost 50 years in the death cell – and was then acquired. Now he receives the greatest silent man ever in criminal proceedings in Japan, as the BBC reports.
Iwao Hakamada was in the prison of his life for 47 years. He is considered the prisoner who spent the longest time in the death cell. His case is one of the most famous and long criminal proceedings in Japan.
Sentenced to death for murder
What had led to this long prison sentence? Hakamada was accused of killing his boss and his family in 1966. The authorities also accused him of having lit the family’s house and stolen money. The Japanese admitted that they were responsible for these actions – because he was brutally forced to do this. This led Hakamada to be sentenced to death in 1968.
Process was resumed
But the history of Hakamada is not counted: researchers of his case are suspected of having fake certificate. In 2014, the Japanese received a rescuing procedure and was released from prison. Since then he has lived with his 91-year-old sister Hideko. This had fought for years for the release of her brother.
Last September Hakamada was finally acquitted in the death cell after almost half a decade. He himself was not present in this acquittal, because of his psychological problems he could not come, as the BBC writes.
Record sum as compensation
The lawyers of the 89-year-old then demanded a reimbursement-the highest possible amount. They argued that the long time in the prison of his psyche was enormously damaged. Judge Kunii Koshi approved the compensation application, so Hakamada received a record amount of 217 million Yen – the equivalent of around 1.3 million euros. Koshi also spoke about “extremely serious” psychological and physical pain that Hakamada suffered.
Source: Krone
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