Japanese court acquits the longest-serving death row inmate of a 1966 quadruple murder

TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese court found an 88-year-old former boxer not guilty on Thursday after a retrial for a 1966 quadruple murder, reversing a decision that made him the world's longest-serving death row inmate.

Iwao Hakamada’s acquittal by the Shizuoka District Court makes him the fifth death row inmate to be found not guilty in a retrial in postwar Japan, where prosecutors have a more than 99% conviction rate. The case could rekindle a debate around abolishing the death penalty in Japan.

The court found that evidence was fabricated and planted by investigators and that Hakamada was not the culprit, his lawyer Hideyo Ogawa said.

After the ruling and an explanation were read out, his 91-year-old sister Hideko Hakamada walked out of the courthouse with a big smile, welcomed by cheers and two big bouquets of flowers to celebrate the acquittal of her brother after the 58-year legal battle.