Prosecutors have lodged a special appeal with the Supreme Court, arguing that the Osaka High Court's decision to allow a retrial of a man who died in prison in a robbery-murder case that occurred in Hino, Shiga Prefecture, 39 years ago. .
As a result, the final decision on whether to grant a retrial will take even longer.
Hiroshi Sakahara, a former factory worker who was sentenced to life imprisonment for robbery and murder in 1984 when a woman who ran a liquor store in Hino-cho was murdered and the safe was robbed. On the 27th of last month, the Osaka High Court decided that new evidence was found that clearly indicated that he should be acquitted, and issued a decision to allow a retrial = redo the trial.
In response, the Osaka High Public Prosecutor's Office filed a special appeal to the Supreme Court on the 6th, seeking to cancel the decision.
Deputy Chief Public Prosecutor Fumihiko Oyumiba commented, "It is difficult to accept this decision, so we have decided to file a special appeal and seek a proper judgment."
In 2018, the Otsu District Court issued the first decision to grant a retrial to a person who had been sentenced to death or life imprisonment after the war and had not returned to society. After receiving an appeal, the case was tried again at the Osaka High Court for five years.
As the prosecution filed a special appeal, it was left to the Supreme Court to decide whether to allow a retrial, and the final decision would take even more time.
Lawyers ``Delayed for no reason at all''
In response to the prosecution's special appeal to the Supreme Court, Koichi Iga, head of the defense team, said, ``This special appeal is nothing more than a completely unreasonable delay, and anger is welling up. In response, I will do my best to force the Supreme Court to reject it firmly."