50 lines
2.1 KiB
Plaintext
50 lines
2.1 KiB
Plaintext
NEWS FROM JAPAN
|
|
|
|
Two convicted murderers were hanged on 1,December, juridical
|
|
sources said, the first executions since those of four men in
|
|
November 1993.
|
|
They were also the first executions carried out under the
|
|
administration of Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayanma, who assumed
|
|
the premiership in June.
|
|
Kazumi Sasaki, 66,was executed at a prison in Sendai,the sources
|
|
said. Sasaki was given the death penalty in 1985. Though his
|
|
lawyer appealed through the courts, Sasaki himself withdrew the
|
|
appeal.
|
|
Sasaki was convicted of stabbing to death the owner of a
|
|
Japanese-style inn and a company employee in Aomori Prefecture
|
|
in September 1984.
|
|
The other murderer, Yukio Ajima, 44, was executed at a Tokyo
|
|
prison, the sources said. He was sentenced to die in 1978, and
|
|
the Supreme Court upheld that decision in 1985.
|
|
Ajima was found guilty of stabbing to death his fiancee, her
|
|
sister and aunt in Gumma Prefecture in April 1977 after the
|
|
woman's parents and others opposed their marriage.
|
|
Executions in Japan are carried out hanging.
|
|
Juridical authorities have not pfficially announced the two
|
|
executions.
|
|
Seven men were executed last year-the four in November and three
|
|
men in March.
|
|
Justice Minister Isao Maeda, a Liberal-Democratic Party
|
|
parliamentalian, said in his inaugural press conference in June
|
|
that he intended to deal with the capital punishment issue
|
|
carefully and fairly on the basis of the law, respecting the
|
|
judgement of the courts. After news of the executions came out
|
|
1.December, Prime Minister Murayama told reports that "the
|
|
justice minister is the proper person to handle" the execution
|
|
issue.
|
|
Some politicians and human rights groups have strongly urged
|
|
that capital punishment be abolished in Japan.
|
|
A nonpartisan league of more that 100 Diet members opposing the
|
|
death penalty petitioned Murayama in early November to suspend
|
|
the execution of criminals on death row.
|
|
According to one citizens group, there are 59 inmates on death
|
|
row in Japan.
|
|
A government survey released last week showed that almost three
|
|
out of four pollees supported capital punishment, while only
|
|
13.8 percent thougt it should be abolished.
|
|
|
|
SOURCE-Mainich Daily News/3. dec. 1994
|
|
|
|
|
|
|