Italian group criticizes Japanese justice minister
over death penalty
Friday 25th July, 2008
ROME —
An Italian civic group against the death penalty criticized
Japanese Justice Minister Kunio Hatoyama in a report
released Thursday, describing him as an “outspoken
supporter of the death penalty” who broke taboos maintained
in Japan over executions.
Hands Off Cain said Hatoyama, who took office in August
last year, “is trying to reduce the number of prisoners on
death row.” Under him, Japan has executed 13 people,
reducing the number of death-row inmates to 102 following
the June 17 execution of Tsutomu Miyazaki, who was
convicted of the killings of four girls. The Rome-based
group said in the report on executions around the world in
2007 that ‘‘the principles and taboos that Japan maintained
with regard to capital punishment are being systematically
broken down,’’ in reference to the conventions of not
publicizing the executions and not carrying them out while
the Diet is in session.