Pope May Meet Japanese Man Seeking Retrial of Death Sentence

September 15, 2019

Tokyo- Arrangements are being made for a meeting between Pope Francis and Iwao Hakamada, a Japanese man seeking a retrial of his death sentence, during the papal visit to Japan in late November, it was learned Saturday.

The meeting may be held just before or after a Mass planned at Tokyo Dome, according to supporters of Hakamada, 83.

It is still uncertain, however, whether the meeting will become a reality due in part to Hakamada's health problem, the supporters said.

The pope opposes death penalty, and any remarks he may make about Japan's capital punishment system are expected to attract attention.

According to the supporters, lawyers of Hakamada and others sent a letter to the pope last year, expressing hope for a meeting between the pope and Hakamada in Japan.

Hakamada was arrested and indicted in 1966 over the murder of four in a family in Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan. His death sentence was finalized in 1980.

In 2014, about 48 years after the arrest, he was released from prison after Shizuoka District Court granted a retrial to him. But Tokyo High Court overrode the decision in 2018.

The suspension of the death sentence and imprisonment was maintained, but the Hakamada side has appealed to the Supreme Court. Jiji Press