Iwao Hakamata, acquitted last year in his retrial over the 1966 murder of four people in Shizuoka Prefecture, demanded Wednesday that the government pay him compensation of ¥217 million for being unjustly detained for over 47 years.
A lawyer serving as the legal guardian for Hakamata submitted the claim to the Shizuoka District Court, according to his defense team.
Hakamata, 88, was arrested by the Shizuoka Prefectural Police in August 1966 on suspicion of robbery and murder and subsequently sentenced to death.
He was detained for 47 years and seven months until the court granted him a retrial and released him in March 2014.
Under the criminal compensation law, those who are found not guilty in a retrial can claim compensation of up to ¥12,500 per day. The defense team said that Hakamata is seeking the maximum state compensation.
In September last year, the district court acquitted Hakamata. The decision was finalized after the Shizuoka District Public Prosecutor's Office waived its right to appeal.
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