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<p>British Ministers have made clear to their Japanese counterparts on numerous occasions
the UK's hope that Japan will move to abolish the death penalty. This is in line with
UK policy towards all countries which continue to use the death penalty. Most recently,
on 12 December 2013, EU Ambassadors in Tokyo wrote a joint letter to the Japanese
Foreign Minister on , expressing their concern at executions which took place the
same day, and deploring the eight executions authorised by the Minister of Justice
since the beginning of that year.</p><p>The FCO part-funded a study by the NGO Death
Penalty Project in 2013, the conclusions of which argue that aspects of Japan's use
of the death penalty – including the sentencing and detention of Mr Hakamada - amount
to breaches of its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights. The British Embassy in Tokyo has disseminated this report widely in Japan,
including to all Members of the Diet, and we continue to raise the points in the report
with the Japanese authorities. The British Embassy in Tokyo will continue to follow
closely the case of Mr Hakamada, and will work with like-minded partners to raise
its profile. The Embassy and the FCO put out messages on social media about the case
on 28 March following his release for retrial.</p>
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