Japan carried out its first execution since 2022 on Friday. Officials put to death Takahiro Shiraishi, a 34-year-old man who killed nine people. The justice ministry would not confirm the hanging, but news sources reported the execution. Shiraishi earned the nickname Twitter killer for his crimes. He used the social media platform to find his victims.
Shiraishi murdered nine people during 2017 after meeting them online. His victims were mostly women between ages 15 and 26. He contacted people who talked about ending their lives on social media. The killer promised to help them die but murdered them instead. Police found body parts stored around his small apartment near Tokyo.
Japan and America remain the only wealthy nations that still execute criminals. Most Japanese citizens support keeping the death penalty. A government survey found that 83 percent of people think executions are necessary. The country uses hanging as its method of execution. Officials must carry out death sentences within six months of final court decisions.
About 107 prisoners wait for their executions as of last December. Critics attack the system for being secretive and cruel. Death row inmates often spend years alone without knowing when they will die. Guards tell prisoners about their execution on the same morning it happens. The government rarely shares details about who gets executed or when the killings take place.
Shiraishi murdered nine people during 2017 after meeting them online. His victims were mostly women between ages 15 and 26. He contacted people who talked about ending their lives on social media. The killer promised to help them die but murdered them instead. Police found body parts stored around his small apartment near Tokyo.
Japan and America remain the only wealthy nations that still execute criminals. Most Japanese citizens support keeping the death penalty. A government survey found that 83 percent of people think executions are necessary. The country uses hanging as its method of execution. Officials must carry out death sentences within six months of final court decisions.
About 107 prisoners wait for their executions as of last December. Critics attack the system for being secretive and cruel. Death row inmates often spend years alone without knowing when they will die. Guards tell prisoners about their execution on the same morning it happens. The government rarely shares details about who gets executed or when the killings take place.
