ADPAN:- Japan must impose a moratorium and abolish the death penalty

Japan: Impose A Permanent Moratorium On All Executions And Take Urgent Steps Towards Its Abolition Of The Death Penalty

 

 

MEDIA STATEMENT – 31 AUGUST 2014

The Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network (ADPAN) condemns the execution of two Japanese death row prisoners, Mitsuhiro Kobayashi, age 56, and Tsutomu Takamizawa, age 59, who were executed on 29^th August 2014 at Sendai Detention Center and Tokyo Detention Center respectively. This is the second and third execution in this year that took place within two months since last June when Masanori Kawasaki, aged 68 was executed on 26 June at Osaka Detention Center.

This recent executions of Mitsuhiro Kobayashi, Tsutomu Takamizawa and Masanori Kawasaki is really disappointing more so since the recent release of Iwao Hakamada on 27 March 2014, who had spent 45 years on death row. In Hakamada’s case, the court in releasing him expressed concern that investigators could have falsified the evidence against him.

Since Prime Minister Abe’s government took office in December 2012 eleven people have now been executed, whilst a total of 127 inmates remain on death row.

ADPAN, together with its member in Japan, Center for Prisoners’ Rights,  condemns these ‘secret executions’. The death penalty is a gross human rights violation, a state-sanctioned murder, unique in its cruelty and finality. Needless to say, death penalty is irreversible and cannot be remedied.

ADPAN, a network of Asia Pacific organizations and individuals working for the abolition of the death penalty, calls upon the Japanese government, also being a member of the UN Human Rights Council, to comply with United Nations General Assembly Resolutions adopted in 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2012, and to immediately impose a moratorium on all executions and take steps towards the abolition of the death penalty.

Charles Hector

For an on behalf of ADPAN

For further information, please contact Ms Nalini at contactadpan@gmail.com  or  +60193758912.

*ADPAN PDF Version: Final Press Statement Japan Execution 29082014

*ADPAN member CPR issued a statement condemning the execution: http://www.cpr.jca.apc.org/sites/all/themes/cpr_dummy/Doc/CPR%20Statement%20on%20Execution%20August%2029%202014.pdf