On Tuesday, three death row convicts in Osaka filed a lawsuit against the government, requesting an end to the practice of hanging prisoners to death and arguing that the practice violates international human rights conventions.
All three plaintiffs have spent more than ten years in Osaka Detention House, and two of them have also been involved in ongoing sentencing appeals.
The case, according to the plaintiffs’ lawyer Kyoji Mizutani, aims to highlight “the reality of the capital punishment in Japan” and spark debate about whether the practice ought to continue.
The Justice Ministry said that since it has not yet received the complaint, it is unable to respond.
The detainees, whose identities, ages, and genders have been concealed, are also suing for 33 million yen ($237,000) in damages.
The plaintiffs say that Japan’s Penal Code, which says that hanging is the only way to be put to death, is cruel because it causes unbearable pain and goes against international agreements on human rights.
The prisoners also described experiencing mental anguish as a result of long-term terror caused by not knowing when they would be put to death.
According to the lawsuit, the government’s refusal to provide information such as the method of executions impedes public discourse on the merits of the death sentence.
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