The leader of a delegation from the Council of Europe, currently on a visit to Japan to study its death penalty system, on Tuesday urged Tokyo to temporarily suspend all executions, Japanese officials said.
Gunnar Jansson, 56, mission leader and chairman of the international organization's human rights committee, made the request during a meeting with Justice Minister Masahiko Komura.
Komura rejected the request, however, saying, "Public opinion polls show 80 percent of Japanese people think the death penalty is imperative. There is no thought of abolishing the death penalty system and I see no necessity to suspend executions."
During the meeting, Jansson pointed out that while all the council's member countries have abolished the death penalty, Japan and the United States -- two powerful observer states -- continue to impose it.
Explaining that the delegation's study of how Japan carries out capital punishment will be discussed by the council, Jansson also asked that members be allowed to inspect the detention facilities of death-row convicts.
In response, Komura said that although an inspection of this kind has not been approved, it may be considered "if there is a request from the Diet."
According to Komura, another issue that is "currently under study" is whether Japan will join the council's convention on the transfer of sentenced people, which stipulates that convicted foreigners can serve their prison terms in their own countries.
Based in Strasbourg, France, the council has 43 member states in Europe -- including Russia -- and promotes the abolition of the death penalty. It was formed in 1949 to protect human rights and to promote democracy.
Japan was granted observer status on the council in 1996, joining several other countries in this regard.