Japan Executes First Three Death Row Inmates Under Fumio Kishida

jpnn.com, JEPANG - Japan on Tuesday executed first three death row inmates under Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

These were also the first executions in nearly two years, Kyodo News Agency reported.

One of the inmates was a 65-year-old man, who was charged with the murder of seven of his relatives in 2004.

In Japan, the death penalty is carried out by hanging, and detainees are notified of their execution just hours before it is carried out.

The practice has long been criticized by human rights groups for stressing out death row inmates because any day could be their last.

In November, two death row inmates filed a lawsuit against the government.

Both demanded a change in the practice and compensation for the consequences.

The United States and Japan are the only industrial democracies that still apply the death penalty, and rights groups such as Amnesty International have demanded changes to the sentence for decades.