Japan court backs retrial for 87-year-old death row inmate

Iwao Hakamada (in wheelchair), accompanied by his sister Hideko (in brown coat) and supporters as they head into court in Tokyo [Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP]

The Tokyo High Court has said 87-year-old Iwao Hakamada, who spent more than 45 years on death row after a controversial conviction for murder, should be granted a retrial.

Hakamada was given “temporary release” in March 2014 after new DNA evidence cast serious doubt on the reliability of his conviction and the court that initially convicted him called for a retrial.