Japan Uses the Death Penalty for the First Time in Almost Three Years to Execute a “Twitter Killer”
The “Twitter Killer,” Takahiro Shiraishi, was executed in Japan for the first time since 2022 for the murder of nine people.
Known as the “Twitter Killer,” Takahiro Shiraishi was hanged Friday in Japan in its first execution since 2022 for the heinous 2017 murders of nine people. In his apartment in Zama city, close to Tokyo, the 33-year-old was found guilty of enticing eight women and one male via social media before strangling and mutilating them.
Since Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s administration assumed office in October, the death penalty has been applied for the first time, and this is the first execution in Japan in nearly three years.
Shiraishi’s acts had a “extremely selfish” purpose, according to Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki, who signed the execution order. He also noted the “great shock and unrest” the murders produced in Japanese society. He emphasized that the hanging was decided upon following a careful and comprehensive analysis of the case.
Shiraishi startled the country with his atrocities. By suggesting he could help them die gently or perhaps die with them, he reached out to people on Twitter who were having suicide thoughts. He killed them after luring them to his house instead.
In Japan, the death penalty is carried out via hanging, frequently with little warning. Human rights organizations have long criticized the practice of inmates being told of their execution only hours before it takes place, citing the psychological toll it has on death row inmates.
The death sentence should remain in place as long as violent crimes are being committed, according to Justice Minister Suzuki, who defended its application. As of right now, Japan has 105 death row inmates, Suzuki said.
The guy convicted of a 2008 mass stabbing in Tokyo’s Akihabara shopping district was hanged in July 2022. The world’s longest-serving death row inmate, Iwao Hakamada, was acquitted by a Japanese court less than a year ago after being wrongfully convicted of crimes he committed almost 60 years ago.
As one of the few affluent countries that still performs executions, Japan’s capital penalty policy is once again the subject of controversy following Shiraishi’s execution.
