Iwao Hakamada Awarded Maximum Compensation After 46 Years Wrongfully Spent on Death Row

The Shizuoka District Court grants €1.2 million to the 89-year-old, highlighting systemic flaws in Japan's judicial system.

Iwao Hakamada, wrongfully convicted of a 1968 quadruple murder, spent 46 years on death row before his exoneration in September 2024.
The Shizuoka District Court awarded him €1.2 million on March 24, 2025, the maximum allowed under Japanese law for wrongful imprisonment.
The court cited fabricated evidence and inhumane interrogation practices, which included coercion and physical and mental abuse.
Hakamada’s exoneration is the fifth instance in post-war Japan where a retrial for a death row inmate resulted in acquittal.
His decades-long legal battle was spearheaded by his sister, whose advocacy played a crucial role in securing his release and justice.