Quotes
The court cannot accept the fact that the blood stain would remain reddish if it had been soaked in miso for more than a year. The bloodstains were processed and hidden in the tank by the investigating authorities after a considerable period of time since the incident,
Tsuneishi was said quoted as saying as he said When the judge said the defendant was not guilty, it sounded divine to me,
Hideko, Hakamata’s 91-year-old sister, was quoted as saying in the CNN report When I heard that, I was so moved and happy, I couldn't stop crying,
I believe this ruling puts an end to the case,
said Ogawa, Hakamada's lawyer It ends an inspiring fight to clear his name,
When I go to sleep in a soundless solitary cell every night, I sometimes cannot help cursing God. I have not done anything wrong,
The Hakamada case clearly shows the cruelty of the wrongful death penalty, and the tragedy should never be repeated,
she said, expressing hope Thank you, everyone, we won an acquittal,
she told a televised news conference It is so difficult to get a retrial started,
She told reporters in Tokyo I have nothing to do with the case … I am innocent,
he wrote in his letter to his mother while on trial in 1967 What a cold-blooded act to give me such cruelty. We don't need such God. I'm tempted to shout this to God,
Hakamada wrote in one of his letters We are overjoyed by the court's decision to exonerate Iwao Hakamada,
Amnesty International's Boram Jang said in a statement As we celebrate this long overdue day of justice for Hakamada, we are reminded of the irreversible harm caused by the death penalty. We strongly urge Japan to abolish the death penalty to prevent this from happening again."
Everyone — we won the acquittal, it's all thanks to your support,
she said outside the Shizuoka District Court afterwards, close to tears with her voice cracking The prosecution's records were obtained by effectively infringing on the defendant's right to remain silent, under circumstances extremely likely to elicit a false confession,
I went to the prosecutors' office and said, 'don't force us to fight until I turn 100',
Hideko said before the verdict Investigators tampered with clothes by getting blood on them
said Thursday's ruling, seen by AFP The court finds the defendant innocent,
Once you think you can't win, there is no path to victory,
Suspects are forced to confess through long and arbitrary periods of detention" and there is often "intimidation during interrogation