Japan rules out appeal over acquittal of world’s longest death row inmate

Japanese prosecutors have said they will not appeal over the acquittal of Iwao Hakamada, the world’s longest-serving death row inmate, in a retrial last month, bringing closure to the 1966 murder case after more than half a century of legal battles (Kyodo News/AP)

Japanese prosecutors have said they will not appeal over the acquittal of the world’s longest-serving death row inmate in a retrial last month, bringing closure to the 1966 murder case after more than half a century of legal battles.

Prosecutor-general Naomi Unemoto said the prosecution decided not to appeal over Shizuoka District Court’s decision finding Iwao Hakamada not guilty in a retrial 58 years after his arrest, saying: “We feel sorry for putting him in a legally unstable situation for an extremely long time.”