Death row inmates in Japan sue the government to stop hangings

• Three death row inmates in Japan are suing the government in an effort to abolish the practice of hanging death row inmates.
• The prisoners contend that hanging, which is now the only method of execution in the nation, is brutal.
• In Japan, there are currently more than 100 people waiting to be executed.

Three death row inmates in Japan are suing the government in an effort to abolish the practice of hanging death row inmates.

The prisoners contend that hanging, which is now the only method of execution in the nation, is brutal. In addition, they are asking for 33 million yen ($238,000; £198,000) in damages for mental anguish.

According to Kyodo News, having a long history of fearing death has caused “mental torment.” The Justice Ministry has stated that because it has not received the complaint, it is unable to comment.

The action, according to the convicts’ attorney Kyoji Mizutani, is intended to spark a discussion about the potential future of the death penalty in Japan.

The complaint was filed after two further prisoners in Osaka sued to stop same-day executions in the latter part of last year.

Currently, prisoners are only informed a few hours before their execution, which the government claims is done to spare them pain.

As their attorney at the time put it, “Death row inmates live in fear every morning that that day will be their last.”

Three people were hanged shortly after this legal action was filed; this was Japan’s first execution in nearly two years. A man who was found guilty of murdering seven people in 2008 was also put to death in July.

Rights organizations have long criticized hanging as having a negative impact on prisoners’ mental health, but the government has cited strong public support for the death penalty. 80% of respondents in a Cabinet Office opinion survey of more than 1,500 people conducted in late 2019 agreed with the practice.

In Japan, there are currently more than 100 people waiting to be executed.

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