Convict, 93, loses appeal
NZPA-Reuter Tokyo The Tokyo District Court yesterday rejected the appeal of a 93-year-old convict seeking his freedom after 30 years on death row. In an appeal filed earlier this month, lawyers for Sadamichi Hirasawa called for his release, arguing that the statute of limitations on the death penalty had expired.
Hirasawa was convicted in 1955 of robbing a bank and murdering 12 of its employees in 1948 by posing as a health official and inducing them to drink poison. He told them it was an antidote to dysentery.
District Court Judge Kozo Fujita ruled that the 30-year statute of limitations applied only to fugitives and not to those already in prison.
Hirasawa’s supporters have also argued that the frail former artist, now in a prison hospital, should be freed on humanitarian grounds. His lawyers have filed a seventeenth appeal for a retrial and a fifth appeal for a pardon.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19850531.2.74.4
Bibliographic details
Press, 31 May 1985, Page 6
Word Count
153Convict, 93, loses appeal Press, 31 May 1985, Page 6
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Copyright in all Footrot Flats cartoons is owned by Diogenes Designs Ltd. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise these cartoons and make them available online as part of this digitised version of the Press. You can search, browse, and print Footrot Flats cartoons for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Diogenes Designs Ltd for any other use.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.
Log in