Japan executes first foreigner in a decade

Japan on Thursday executed a 40-year-old Chinese man who was convicted of murdering a Japanese family in 2003.

Justice Minister Masako Mori said she had ordered the execution of the man “after careful consideration.”

Wei Wei, a former language student, pleaded guilty to four counts of murder. However, he had consistently denied he was a central figure in the murder.

Two of Wei Wei’s accomplices fled to China, where they were arrested and convicted for the murders. One of them received a life sentence while the other was executed.

The last time the death sentence was carried out was Aug. 2.

The latest execution has brought the total number of hangings since the start of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s current tenure in 2012 to 39.

There are currently 111 prisoners on death row, the Japanese Interior ministry said.

 

Read more via The Japan Times

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