「やっと完全な無罪実った」　袴田さん、支援者前に―静岡市

　１９６６年に静岡県で一家４人が殺害された事件で死刑確定後に再審無罪となった袴田巌さん（８８）が１４日、静岡市で行われた支援者の集会で、「長い戦いがございました。私もやっと完全な無罪が実りました」と語った。無罪判決確定後、袴田さんが公の場に姿を見せるのは初めて。
　袴田さんは車いすに乗り、弁護団の弁護士らと握手を交わしながら会場へ。姉のひで子さん（９１）と共に壇上に上がり、いすに座ってマイクを握った。支援者から花束を受け取り、ボクシングのチャンピオンベルトを渡されると、頬を緩めた。
　ひで子さんは「（袴田さんは）まだ半信半疑でいるようなところがある。これで無罪ってことがはっきり分かると思う」と語った。（2024/10/14-16:24）

Former Japanese death-row inmate Iwao Hakamata, acquitted in a retrial 58 years after his arrest in a murder case, on Monday made his first public appearance since his acquittal became final last week.
   "There was a long battle. I've finally achieved a complete acquittal," Hakamata, 88, said at a gathering of supporters in Shizuoka, central Japan.
   He arrived at the venue in a wheelchair. After shaking hands with lawyers of his defense team, he went up to the podium with his sister, Hideko, 91, and held a microphone as he was seated in a chair.
   When the former professional boxer received flowers from his supporters and was given a boxing champion belt, his cheeks loosened.
   Hakamata's death sentence became final in 1980. In the retrial that began in 2023, Shizuoka District Court issued a ruling to acquit him Sept. 26 this year. The acquittal became final as prosecutors waived their right to appeal against the ruling.