Innocent: Japanese 46 years spent in prison, awaiting execution

Iwao Hakamada has been in prison for 46 years, 34 of them in solitary confinement for death row. In 2014, Hakamada was not guilty and was released. A monstrous miscarriage of justice led to the fact that the poor Japanese most of his life spent behind bars.

When 78-year-old Iwao finally was free, his mental health has deteriorated. Of course! 34 years to live in absolute isolation, without communication with the outside world, without information about his own fate, every day expecting that today will come for you and take the penalty.

Japanese bombers surpassed the count of Monte Cristo: Iwao Hakamada's almost half-century spent behind bars awaiting the death penalty. In Japan, he became a symbol of police brutality and the judicial system, and in 2011 was listed in the Guinness Book of records as the prisoner, the longest waiting of execution of capital punishment.

More than 50 years ago Iwao Hakamada was a professional boxer, it is highly successful in his country, but his life changed overnight. Hakamada was sentenced to death for the murder, which occurred on 30 June 1966. Then the head of the Japanese company for the production of bean paste has been found dead in his house. Perpetrator also killed his wife and two children of a businessman, after which he set fire to the premises.

The Prime suspect was an employee of the company Iwao Hakamada. The plant was found shirt, splashed with blood of the victim. The culprit hid it in the tub with bean paste. At the request of investigators, she belonged to Khakamada, and it became the main evidence in this case.

In September 1968, the district court in Shizuoka sentenced Hakamada to death by hanging. A guilty sentence was passed on the basis of "confessions" made under torture repeated, using evidence as the court acknowledged, were fabricated.

The prisoner later told family and lawyers that he was interrogated for 23 days. No protector it is then not provided. During interrogations he was beaten, deprived of water and was not taken to the toilet, demanding to sign a confession.

The next few decades Khakamada tried to pursue his case. But in 1980 the Supreme court upheld the verdict. Three years later, Hakamada wrote to his son: "I will prove to you that your father didn't kill anyone. The police know this better than anyone, and judge who led the case, too. I will break this iron chain and return to you." Khakamada was waiting and the older sister (pictured), which sought his release.

Hideko Hakamada fought for the liberation of unjustly convicted brother for 46 years. All these years, she did not lose hope for the release of Iwao and three times forced the lawyers to appeal the sentence appeal.

All this time Iwao Hakamada was on death row. That's where the criminals alone waiting for the execution of the sentence. It is difficult to imagine what happened with Iwao when he realized that he's going to come and hang. He's waited for this for over 46 years.

Later for a long period of solitary confinement has damaged the sanity of the prisoner. He began incoherently to Express thoughts and refused meetings with his sister and other family members.

44 years after the conclusion of Iwao custody of his sister Hideko has made of the DNA test. Blood samples found on the clothing did not match with the blood of the convicted person. The case was sent back for revision, and only two years later, in March 2014, Iwao was released from prison.

In Japan sentenced to death kept in complete isolation from the outside world in addition to solitary confinement also involves limited contact with relatives. Hakamada lived in such conditions not just a few years and several decades.

When he was released from prison under the bright camera flashes and glow of floodlights, the media saw no jubilant liberated, and a little stooped elderly man without any expression on his face. Then journalists vying began to ask what would Iwao now wanted to eat. In the end, one of the operators pulled the others: "Leave him! Can't you see he forgot what it means to live a normal life." Here Iwao raised his eyes and said, "I Want beer and cake."

Human rights activists have criticized the penal system of Japan, which includes the death penalty. Prisoners do not speak when the sentence will be executed and it is too cruel and painful. "Mental suffering due to the fact that the man thinks every day is his last day of life — it's scary, — said the Director of the British branch of Amnesty International Kate Allen. But the Japanese justice system sees fit to keep prisoners sentenced to death in the punitive mode of ignorance, isolation and silence, which only you can imagine."

Himself Iwao Hakamada barely returned to normal. It took a superhuman effort and patience sister, that her brother came from the state of apathy and began to smile.