Iwao Hakamata

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Longest Death-Row Inmate Gets Record Payout

Japan to pay $1.45M to Iwao Hakamata, who spent nearly 50 years on death row before a rare retrial

(Newser) - He served nearly 50 years on death row for murders he didn't commit, but now octogenarian Iwao Hakamata is about to recoup some compensation for his ordeal. The BBC reports that a judge has ordered the Japanese government to pay $1.45 million to 89-year-old Iwao Hakamata, who spent...

World's Longest Serving Death Row Inmate Goes Free

Japan sets boxer free after 48 years on death row

(Newser) - A Japanese court has ordered the release of the world's longest-serving death row inmate, saying investigators had likely fabricated evidence. The court ordered a retrial and suspended the death sentence for 78-year-old Iwao Hakamata, a former professional boxer convicted in the 1966 murder of a family. More than 45...

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