Group reports rarely heard voices of death row inmates

Sunday 12th October, 05:28 AM JST

TOKYO —

The rarely heard voices of death row inmates were brought to light Saturday at a public meeting in Tokyo, and many of the reports indicated that the inmates feel anxiety over their fates and express skepticism on the rightfulness of capital punishment. “I’m alive, but I don’t know what will happen tomorrow,’’ a 58-year-old inmate said in his message contributed to Forum 90, an anti-capital punishment group which organized the meeting to mark the Oct 10 World Day Against the Death Penalty.

The inmate was responding to a survey Forum 90 sent to 105 death row inmates, aged from 27 to 86, through their lawyers and families in July, of whom 77 responded. Among the respondents, two were hanged last month. ‘‘The death penalty is murder by the state, but I’m willing to die if it is the way I pay for my crime. I have no home to return to and this is where I will die,’’ another inmate, 50, said.

Many countries are heading for abolishment of the death penalty, with 137 nations terminating or effectively abolishing it while 60 countries, including Japan, have maintained it as of Sept 11, anti-death penalty campaigners said.

› Login to comment

15 Comments

LIBERTAS at 07:02 AM JST - 12th October

Because they are non-persons, just like non-Japanese in Japan. A dog has more enforceable rights than either.
BBLeo at 11:20 AM JST - 12th October

Hold on! If they are convicted of killing human being, than this is what they deserve. Many of murder victims they bag them before they are killed, but this scumbags wouldn't listen to their own victims. There is no excuse for such crime, and they don't have rights to take anyone’s life. Society is build with harmony of good life and to loose their life’s by killers. If any of them are innocent and waiting on death row, than Japanese justice should be examined and re examined. There are occasions were people are convicted of not committing crime, for such people should be sympathy but not for proven killers. 'THERE'S THE RUB: ONLY ACUSED IS AWARE OF TRUTH.'
briantokyo at 01:14 PM JST - 12th October

Long live the death sentence.
BlackFlag at 01:50 PM JST - 12th October

“I’m alive, but I don’t know what will happen tomorrow,’’

not a particularly unique situation is it?
Himajin at 05:28 PM JST - 12th October

They aren't given an execution date, the just come for them one day, BlackFlag. They never know which day will be their last.
kringis at 06:28 PM JST - 12th October

Nobody does. You could get hit by a car tomorrow.
Himajin at 09:51 PM JST - 12th October

Well don't you think that being on death row raises the odds a bit? Let's just all play stupid, eh? This isn't allowed anywhere else in the world, to give someone a death sentence, and then not tell them when they'll be executed...they come for them with no notice, no chance to contact anyone, but then it could be 3 months, 6 months, or years.

Someone tells you that for certain you'll be hit by a bus or die in a car crash but they can't tell you when, because their vision of the future is incomplete, then you're in the same situation...
BlackFlag at 10:04 PM JST - 12th October

himajin, of course I now that, doesnt make this fellers only chance at a media voice any less wasted though
BlackFlag at 10:08 PM JST - 12th October

rarely heard voices of death row inmates

was hoping for a few pearls of wisdom
Kokubuspider at 10:26 PM JST - 12th October

To be honest im torn between the Gandhi view "an eye for an eye makes the world blind" and giving a person exactly the same treatment they gave their victim tangwhich sounds ok. Basically if you deliberately kill a person then start bleating about human rights and how unfair it is that you will meet the same fate, well, I would pull the switch or whatever for their idiocy and lack of morality
solarbuster at 06:51 AM JST - 13th October

Execution removes a person permantly from society and safeguards other innocent people, there is no other reason for it. The death penalty was never meant to be a deterent, it puts dangerous people to sleep the same as every one wants dangerous aminals put down after they attack some one.

The public never hear how brutal some of the murders are or the way some victims are tortured to death, if they did some of those against would change their minds. This however is no excuse to torture convicted criminal by not telling them how long they have to live. They should be given a date for execution and if they chose to extend it by appealling that is their problem. As I have said already, the death penalty is not a deterent and torturing those convicted by not letting them know when they will die, is not, as some people missguidingly believe a deterent either. If the law decide a person is best executed they should be respectful to the person by giving them a date on the day they are convicted. Not doing so bring into question the motives of the court leaving it open to questions of law.
beavis at 12:41 PM JST - 13th October

“I’m alive, but I don’t know what will happen tomorrow,’’

I'm all for this idea. Give them some mental anguish just as they have given it to the victims families. Offing them a week after sentencing is an easy way out.

solarbuster

the death penalty is not a deterent

It is for the majority of us.
YadotNapaj at 09:27 PM JST - 13th October

They believe that not telling the condemned person the date of execution is more humane.

They also cite that not telling the condemned's family until a couple of weeks after the execution is a way of lessening their pain also.

I do not know if the victim's family is allowed to witness the execution as they are allowed to do in the States, or if they let them know when the execution will be carried out.
fds at 11:07 AM JST - 14th October

the victems of these scumbags weren't told in advance either. sound just to me.
OgieDoggie at 01:01 AM JST - 15th October

the victems of these scumbags weren't told in advance either. sound just to me. - fds

fds, you got that one right!