Japanese executed, 3 more on death row
Source: Shanghai Daily |
April 7, 2010, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
A JAPANESE drug smuggler was executed yesterday morning, China's Supreme People's Court announced.
It was the first execution of a Japanese criminal since the countries established formal relations in 1972.
Mitsunobu Akano was executed in the northeastern province of Liaoning after being convicted of trying to smuggle drugs from China, Xinhua news agency reported.
It gave no other details. Japan's Kyodo news agency, however, said that Akano was 65 and that three other Japanese men were on death row in China for drug smuggling.
Kyodo said Akano was convicted in 2008 of attempting to smuggle 2.5 kilograms of drugs from China to Japan in 2006.
It said the three other Japanese drug smugglers on death row could be executed within the next several days.
Japan, which also has the death penalty, said the execution was regrettable but hoped the move would not harm bilateral ties.
"Because our judicial systems are different, Japanese people will naturally think that this is too harsh, but people must understand that each country is different," Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said.
"The government will do what it can to make sure that this does not cause a rift in Japan-China ties," Reuters quoted Hatoyama as saying.
China also hopes that the move will not strain ties.
"We attach great importance to Sino-Japanese relations, and hope the case will not have any impact upon bilateral ties," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told a regular press conference in Beijing.
Last December, a British man convicted of drug smuggling was executed in northwest Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
Japan and the United States are the only two of the Group of Eight countries that conduct executions.
A government poll showed in February that 86 percent of Japanese approve of the death penalty, according to Reuters.
It was the first execution of a Japanese criminal since the countries established formal relations in 1972.
Mitsunobu Akano was executed in the northeastern province of Liaoning after being convicted of trying to smuggle drugs from China, Xinhua news agency reported.
It gave no other details. Japan's Kyodo news agency, however, said that Akano was 65 and that three other Japanese men were on death row in China for drug smuggling.
Kyodo said Akano was convicted in 2008 of attempting to smuggle 2.5 kilograms of drugs from China to Japan in 2006.
It said the three other Japanese drug smugglers on death row could be executed within the next several days.
Japan, which also has the death penalty, said the execution was regrettable but hoped the move would not harm bilateral ties.
"Because our judicial systems are different, Japanese people will naturally think that this is too harsh, but people must understand that each country is different," Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said.
"The government will do what it can to make sure that this does not cause a rift in Japan-China ties," Reuters quoted Hatoyama as saying.
China also hopes that the move will not strain ties.
"We attach great importance to Sino-Japanese relations, and hope the case will not have any impact upon bilateral ties," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told a regular press conference in Beijing.
Last December, a British man convicted of drug smuggling was executed in northwest Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
Japan and the United States are the only two of the Group of Eight countries that conduct executions.
A government poll showed in February that 86 percent of Japanese approve of the death penalty, according to Reuters.
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