Iwao Hakamada, an 88-year-old man who holds the record as the world’s longest-serving death row inmate, has been acquitted by a Japanese court after it found the evidence used to convict him was fabricated. Hakamada, who spent over half a century on death row, was originally sentenced to death in 1968 for the murder of his boss, the man’s wife, and their two teenage children.

Hakamada’s conviction, one of Japan’s most notorious legal sagas, came under intense scrutiny after new evidence suggested that investigators may have planted key pieces of evidence that led to his conviction. In 2014, he was granted a retrial and released from jail after DNA tests indicated the bloodstained clothes used to convict him did not match his DNA. The retrial officially began last year and concluded with the court’s recent verdict, declaring Hakamada innocent.

Long legal battle and public support

The case has attracted widespread public attention in Japan, with hundreds of people gathering outside the court in Shizuoka to hear the verdict. As the court announced Hakamada’s acquittal, his supporters celebrated with cheers of “banzai,” a traditional Japanese exclamation of joy. However, Hakamada himself was absent from the proceedings due to his deteriorating mental health after decades in solitary confinement under the constant threat of execution.

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Hakamada, a former professional boxer, had initially denied the accusations but later confessed after enduring lengthy interrogations and physical abuse. His conviction largely relied on the discovery of bloodstained clothes found in a tank of miso. For years, Hakamada’s defense team argued that this evidence was fabricated by police, a claim that was eventually validated by the court.

A tragic toll on health and family

Hakamada’s decades-long imprisonment, mostly in solitary confinement, took a severe toll on his mental health. His 91-year-old sister, Hideko, has cared for him since his release in 2014 and has been a tireless advocate for his freedom. The judge in the recent retrial not only cleared Hakamada of all charges but also concluded that the prosecution’s key evidence had been falsified.

Rare retrial in Japan

Retrials for death row inmates in Japan are exceedingly rare. Hakamada’s case is only the fifth such retrial in the country’s post-war history. Japan, along with the United States, remains one of the few G7 nations that still practices capital punishment. In Japan, death row inmates are typically informed of their execution just hours before it is carried out, adding a layer of psychological distress to their confinement.

Despite the toll his imprisonment has taken, Hakamada’s acquittal has sparked hope that other wrongful convictions may be revisited in Japan. His case remains a powerful symbol of the potential for injustice within the country’s legal system.