A man from Japan who was wrongly convicted of murder and spent the longest time on death row worldwide has been granted $1.4 million in compensation. This amount equates to 12,500 yen ($83) for each day he spent behind bars, most of which were on death row. The man, a former boxer now aged 89, was acquitted last year of a quadruple murder that occurred in 1966 after a persistent advocacy effort led by his sister and supporters. The Shizuoka District Court awarded him the compensation following a ruling that declared him innocent in a retrial and exposed evidence tampering by the police. Despite this substantial compensation, the man’s legal team expressed that it does not fully acknowledge the suffering he endured. The prolonged detention and constant threat of execution severely impacted his mental well-being, as described by his lawyers. This case marks a record for compensation of its kind in Japan, with similar past instances resulting in exonerations of wrongfully convicted individuals.
Japan rewards man $1.4m after wrongful conviction
