Japan
hanged three inmates convicted of multiple murders on 28 July 2009.
Many organisations, including bar associations and civil society
groups, strongly condemned these executions through protests and
statements.
Addressing the Prime Minister of Japan,
International Federation for Human Rights (Fidh) and Center for
Prisoners' Rights expressed their concerns over "the number of
executions carried out in Japan, which has definitely increased in
recent years, despite the momentum at the international level towards
the abolition of this cruel punishment". Their statement issued on 29
July also urged the Japanese government to implement the
recommendations in Universal Periodic Review by the UN Human Rights
Council. (To read the complete statement, please click here [pdf] )
Since
Kunio Hatoyama became the Minister of Justice in December 2007,
execution had been carried out every two to three months in Japan.
Under the new minister Eisuke Mori, this is the third time inmates were
put to death after 28 October 2008 and 29 January 2009.
