Iwao Hakamada, an 88-year-old former boxer, has been officially exonerated by the Shizuoka District Court after spending 56 years on death row for a quadruple murder he did not commit. Convicted in 1968, Hakamada's case involved fabricated evidence, including blood-stained clothing that did not match his DNA. His wrongful conviction, rooted in a coerced confession, drew national attention and sparked debate over Japan's death penalty.
This ruling represents a significant milestone in Japan's legal history, as Hakamada is one of the few post-war inmates to be exonerated after such an extended period of wrongful imprisonment.