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Kyodo News
14 minutes ago
- Politics
- Kyodo News
Japan executes man convicted of 9 murders, 1st hanging since 2022
KYODO NEWS - 15 hours ago - 18:15 | All, Japan Japan executed on Friday a man convicted of the 2017 serial murders of nine people near Tokyo, the government said, marking the country's first hanging since July 2022. The death sentence of Takahiro Shiraishi, 34, dubbed Japan's "Twitter killer," was finalized in 2021, after he withdrew an appeal. He was found guilty of murdering, dismembering and storing the bodies of his nine victims, who had posted suicidal thoughts on social media, in his apartment in Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture. "I ordered the execution after careful and deliberate consideration," Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki told a press conference held to announce the hanging, which was the first since Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba took office in October last year. The execution comes as questions are raised about the country's capital punishment system after the exoneration of Iwao Hakamata, 89, who spent more than four decades on death row. He was acquitted over a 1966 quadruple murder and his retrial was finalized in October 2024. Shiraishi was also convicted of sexually assaulting all eight female murder victims and stealing cash. Using a Twitter handle that loosely translates as "hangman," he invited his eventual victims to his apartment after they had expressed suicidal thoughts. The nearly three-year hiatus in executions in Japan is thought to be due to the dismissal of former Justice Minister Yasuhiro Hanashi over inappropriate comments about the death penalty at a political gathering in 2022. He said the ministerial post is a "low-key" position and it becomes "a top story in daytime news programs only when stamping a seal on documents of executions." Before Shiraishi, Tomohiro Kato, 39, was the last to be executed, in July 2022. He was convicted for a 2008 rampage in Tokyo's Akihabara district in which seven people were killed and 10 others injured. "No one has the right to take someone's life and it cannot be justified for any reason. Amnesty objects to any form of execution without exceptions," the Japanese branch of Amnesty International said in a statement. The human rights organization urged the Japanese government to take measures to swiftly end the practice. While domestic legal experts have called for a review of the death penalty amid international pressure to end executions and following Hakamata's acquittal, a 2024 government survey on the issue showed over 80 percent of those polled support the system, calling it "unavoidable." It was the fifth consecutive time that support for capital punishment exceeded 80 percent in the government poll, conducted every five years. After the execution of Shiraishi, there are 105 inmates on death row in Japan, of whom 49 have filed retrial requests. Japan and the United States are the only Group of Seven nations still handing down capital sentences. The European Union, which bars countries with the death penalty from joining, has been vocal in calling on Japan to review its stance. According to Amnesty International, a total of 15 countries conducted executions in 2024. Related coverage: Death penalty ruling finalized for Japan's "Twitter killer" Man acquitted of 1966 murders awarded record criminal compensation FEATURE: Steady-handed prison guard remembers faces of condemned FOCUS: Japan makes major step toward revising controversial retrial system
The Independent
10 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Charities warn PM's major backdown over welfare cuts not enough
The government offered concessions on the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill to avoid a major Commons defeat, following significant opposition from Labour backbenchers. The compromises include protecting Personal Independence Payments (PIP) for all existing claimants and delaying changes to PIP eligibility for new claimants until November 2026. Despite these concessions, numerous charities and campaign groups, including Amnesty International and the Disability Benefits Consortium, continue to oppose the bill, arguing it will entrench poverty and create a two-tier benefits system. Critics warn that the revised bill remains 'fatally flawed' and will push future disabled claimants into hardship, urging MPs to continue to vote against it. While some Labour rebels view the concessions as a 'workable compromise,' others still plan to vote against the bill, believing the adjustments do not go far enough.
The National
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The National
Kneecap release film with Gaza surgeons ahead of Glastonbury 2025 set
In a post on social media, the film titled Stop The Genocide came ahead of their slot at the festival taking place on the West Holts Stage at 4pm on Saturday. The Irish rap trio are considered the most controversial act performing this year after one of their members was charged with a terror offence. Before the festival, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said it would not be 'appropriate' for them to perform. READ MORE: IDF soldiers ordered to shoot deliberately at unarmed Gazans waiting for aid The video was posted with the caption, 'Kneecap is not the story. Genocide in Gaza is.' The group then explained in another post that the video, called "See It. Say It. Censored" is an 'artist-led alternative PSA presented by Kneecap that demands urgent action to stop the genocide unfolding in Gaza.' The group added: 'Created by a coalition of artists and powered by the testimony of medics and activists, the film builds on reports from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and UN agencies, to lay out the facts and call for vital action.' Rapper Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who was charged for allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah at a gig in London in November last year, opens the video, saying: "Genocide is a crime against the whole of humanity." The 27-year-old, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara and was released on unconditional bail until his next hearing on August 20, narrates the video. He sets out what "the Israeli government told you what they were gonna do," playing an audio clip of former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant saying: "We are laying a complete siege on Gaza. No electricity, no food. We are fighting against human animals." Plastic surgeon Dr Rossel Morhij features and shares how she had to amputate limbs with blunt instruments. Emergency Physician James Smith adds: "Aid distribution centres are becoming literal killing fields." READ MORE: BBC says it will not show Neil Young's Glastonbury Festival headline set live Ghassen Ghaben, a Palestinian activist, shares how his cousins were killed while getting food for their children. O hAnnaidh then adds: "We didn't choose solidarity. We've lived under occupation. We know that silence is death." Clips of bombings in Northern Ireland are shown as he states this line. The band then urges viewers to support boycotts, divestments, and sanctions against Israel.
The Independent
11 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
Starmer's ‘cruel' welfare cuts must be voted down despite concessions, say charities
Hundreds of charities and campaigners have urged MPs to continue to oppose Sir Keir Starmer's welfare cuts despite a late night climbdown from Downing Street, arguing the concessions are a 'desperate attempt to rush through a disastrous piece of legislation'. It comes after the government offered Labour rebels a series of concessions in an effort to head off the prime minister's first major Commons defeat since coming to power. Some 126 Labour backbenchers had signed an amendment that would halt the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill in its tracks when it faces its first Commons hurdle on 1 July. Rebels now believe the compromises on offer, which include protecting Personal Independence Payments (PIP) for all existing claimants, will be enough to win over a majority. But charities and campaign groups have slapped down the offer, warning the cuts will entrench poverty and create a two-tier benefits system. Disability charity Mencap warned that the changes will create a 'generational divide in the quality of life for people with a learning disability'. 'Cutting disability benefits is not a fair way to mend the black hole in the public purse,' executive director Jackie O'Sullivan said. Amnesty International warned that the new reforms continue to 'fail on human rights checks', dubbing the concessions 'nothing more than a superficial attempt to get MPs to vote through this cruel and harmful piece of legislation.' 'It will deepen poverty, entrench discrimination, and create a two-tier welfare system that cannot be justified under any circumstances', the organisation said. 'Freezing or cutting benefits for new claimants doesn't prevent poverty, it pushes more people into it, while entrenching income inequality across generations. 'These proposals are not human rights compliant. They are being rushed through without proper scrutiny, transparency or engagement with those who stand to lose the most. 'We urge MPs to stand firm against a Bill that continues to discriminate, harm, and marginalise.' The Disability Benefits Consortium (DBC), a coalition of over 100 disability charities including Scope, the MS Society and Parkinson's UK, echoed Amnesty's remarks - saying the 'supposed 'concessions' to the cuts bill are just a desperate attempt to rush through a disastrous piece of legislation'. They warned the government is 'betraying the next generation of disabled people' by 'pushing the cuts onto future claimants'. 'Why should someone who needs support to wash in 2025 be entitled to PIP, but not someone who has the same needs in 2035? 'If the bill passes in its revised form, it will still push more people into poverty and worsen people's health. We urge MPs to use their power to stop this impending disaster. The bill must be stopped in its tracks.' Meanwhile, Helen Barnard, Trussell's director of policy, said the proposals 'still present a bleak future for future claimants'. While the concessions were welcomed, she warned they still risk 'placing the government's commitments to end the need for emergency food and tackle poverty in serious jeopardy. 'Being disabled isn't a choice. Our fears remain the same, and key MP concerns still remain to be addressed.' 'We urge MPs who stood against the bill to continue to do so, and protect the people these changes will affect in the near future', she added. And the Joseph Rowntree Foundation said new disabled claimants 'will continue to be pushed into deep hardship by these cuts, which should be opposed'. While they said the government has 'listened, grasped the severity of the impact and taken some mitigating actions', the organisation warned that bill overall must 'offer the right support to those who need it without subjecting disabled people to further hardship'. 'At the moment that is not the case for people who may need support in the future', they said. Meanwhile mental health charity Mind said the bill 'remains fatally flawed'. 'If current protections are right for disabled people now, why are they not right for disabled people in the future?' executive director Jemima Olchawski said. The reforms also attracted criticism from Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, who dubbed them the 'worst of all worlds". Speaking to reporters on a visit to Essex, she said: "I think we're seeing a government that is floundering, a government that is no longer in control despite having a huge majority. "I don't see how they're going to be able to deliver any of the things they promised if they can't do something as basic as reducing an increase in spending." Mrs Badenoch added: "What they're doing now with this U-turn is creating a two-tier system ... this is the worst of all worlds." The government's original package had restricted eligibility for PIP, the main disability payment in England, and cut the health-related element of Universal Credit, saying this would save around £5bn a year by 2030. Now, the changes to PIP eligibility will be implemented in November 2026 and apply to new claimants only while all existing recipients of the health element of Universal Credit will have their incomes protected in real terms. Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall confirmed the U-turn in a letter to MPs late on Thursday night, along with plans for a review of the PIP assessment to be led by disabilities minister Sir Stephen Timms and 'co-produced' with disabled people. While the revised bill is now expected to pass through the Commons on Tuesday, it is understood that a number of Labour MPs are still planning to vote against it, believing that the adjustments don't go far enough to mitigate their concerns. Dame Meg Hillier, one of the leading rebel voices, described the concessions as 'a good deal' involving 'massive changes' to protect vulnerable people and involve disability people in the design of future reforms. She said: 'It's encouraging that we have reached what I believe is a workable compromise that will protect disabled people and support people back into work while ensuring the welfare system can be meaningfully reformed.' A Number 10 spokesperson said: 'We have listened to MPs who support the principle of reform but are worried about the pace of change for those already supported by the system. 'This package will preserve the social security system for those who need it by putting it on a sustainable footing, provide dignity for those unable to work, supports those who can and reduce anxiety for those currently in the system.'
DW
12 hours ago
- Politics
- DW
Iran regime intensifies crackdown amid Israel ceasefire – DW – 06/27/2025
Iran's regime has executed several people, and arrested hundreds, while seeking to keep domestic opposition in check as its power projection abroad has been weakened following war with Israel. In Tehran's notorious Evin prison, the Iranian regime locks up its opponents, human rights activists, and political dissidents. Iranian rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi has spent years behind bars, including multiple stints in Evin prison, for her work calling attention to rights abuses in the Islamic Republic. On Thursday, Mohammadi posted on X that she had received a report from a prison inmate about the high-security ward of the prison being mysteriously emptied out directly following Israeli bombardment. Evin prison's "Ward 209" is where inmates are held in solitary confinement and interrogations are known to take place under gruesome conditions. Mohammadi posted that a witness saw men and women being escorted from the ward in grey uniforms, loaded into vehicles, and taken to an unknown location with no information as to their whereabouts or condition. Prisoners from other sections were also said to have been moved in a similar manner. There is concern that inmates held in secret locations could be mistreated or even killed without anyone knowing. Three Iranians have already been executed this week. At least two of them had earned their living as smugglers in the Iran-Iraq border region. A court justified the execution by saying that the three men had spied for Israel. Dieter Karg, an Iran expert at Amnesty International, said the arrests and execution on "spying" accusations, is a sign that the Iranian government is trying to stifle the opposition in the turbulent period following confrontation with Israel. "The regime is signaling that it is now taking action with full force," Karg told DW, adding that the regime is moving beyond trying to punish ostensible connections with Israel. "Rather, it is now also a matter of accusing people who were originally imprisoned for non-political offenses of having political motives," Karg said. "In fact, the men who were executed were trying to do nothing more than earn a living by smuggling, and this circumstance is now being exploited for political purposes," he added. According to the human rights organization Iran Human Rights (IHR), nine people have already been executed since Israel launched attacks on June 13. According to IHR, a total of 594 people have already been executed in Iran this year. In this respect, the recent executions do not come as a surprise, political scientist Diba Mirzaei, who researches Iran at the German Institute for Global and Area Studies, told DW. For years, the regime has responded to perceived threats with increasingly brutal and inhumane measures. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "The regime's message behind such actions is unmistakable. In essence, it says you are either with us or against us. And if you are against us, we will deal with you as we see fit. And no one can do anything about it," she said. "The allegations that there were spies for Israel cannot be dismissed as irrelevant or false. Without collaborators, Israel would not have been able to carry out attacks from within Iran itself," Mirzaei said. She added that potential spies could come from both the Iranian population and the ranks of the regime itself. "And that is, of course, particularly worrying for the leadership." Iran's Deputy Minister of Defense from 1997 to 2002, Alireza Akbari, was perhaps the most famous case of a suspected spy coming from within the Iranian government ranks. In 2019, he was arrested on charges of spying for the British intelligence agency MI6. Akbari denied the charges. He was executed in 2023. The regime, from its own perspective, has no choice but to take action against suspected spies, said Mirzaei. "Because if they were not severely punished, according to the regime's logic, other people might also decide to work as spies," she added. Of course, defendants should receive appropriate legal defense, Mirzaei said. "But that's not the regime's logic. So, there's no other option for them to resort to these very brutal measures." The Islamic Consultative Assembly — the Iranian equivalent of a parliament in Western systems of government — recently passed a law that increases penalties for "collaborators." According to the new legislation, espionage or collaboration with hostile governments, including the United States, constitutes the crime of so-called "corruption on earth" and is punishable by death. Since the beginning of the Israeli attack on Iran, the Islamic Republic has begun large-scale arrests under pretexts such as publishing pro-Israel news, contacts with foreign media, and cooperation with or spying for Israel, IHR reports. According to the report, 900 people have already been arrested. "The majority of those detained are people whose mobile devices were searched during checks that allegedly revealed content such as footage of Israeli military actions," according to the IHR report. According to Iran expert Karg from Amnesty, the Iranian regime has lost much of its power basis, as its proxy militant groups like Hamas and Hezbollah have been drastically weakened, or have fallen from power, like the government of Bashar Assad in Syria. "Now, it is at least trying to maintain its base in its own country by taking tough action," Karg said. Amnesty's access to information within Iran is currently made difficult by an internet blackout. "In this respect, we cannot say exactly what this process [foreign collaboration law] means for political prisoners, some of whom have already been in prison for many years. However, we fear that the number of death sentences and executions will increase," Karg said. This could also apply to the Iranian-Swedish doctor Ahmadreza Djalali, among others. He was arrested in 2016 and subsequently sentenced to death for allegedly spying for Israel. Political scientist Mirzaei also fears more executions and even harder punishments for political prisoners in the near future. "In the past, the Iranian people hoped the West would do something for them. Now they are convinced of the opposite," she said, adding this makes helping political prisoners even more difficult. "The only thing we can and must do is keep track of the number of executed people and political prisoners, of torture and severe abuses. Everything else can only come from the Iranian people themselves," she said. Karg takes a similar view. Economic pressure, as well as negotiations on sanctions, could help influence the regime on human rights issues. "Otherwise, we at Amnesty International rely on the power of appeals. This has been partially successful," he said. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video This article was translated from German
