Japan Executes 'Twitter Killer' Amid Controversial Capital Punishment Debate

Japan has carried out its first execution in nearly three years, hanging Takahiro Shiraishi, the man infamously dubbed the 'Twitter Killer'. Shiraishi, found guilty of murdering nine individuals whom he contacted through social media, was executed after Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki's authorisation.

Shiraishi's heinous acts, which involved the strangulation and dismemberment of eight women and one man, were described as driven by an 'extremely selfish' motive. This execution follows the 2022 execution of a man responsible for a Tokyo stabbing spree in 2008. The practice of hanging remains Japan's method of enforcing capital punishment.

The event reignites a contentious debate over capital punishment in Japan, particularly its psychological toll on death-row inmates, who are notified just hours before their execution. While human rights groups criticize the practice, Minister Suzuki insists that abolition is not yet suitable given the gravity of the crimes.

(With inputs from agencies.)