Japan has executed by hanging Takahiro Shiraishi, infamously known as the “Twitter Killer,” who was convicted of murdering nine people he lured through social media in 2017.
Shiraishi, 34, was executed at the Tokyo Detention Center following the finalization of his death sentence. His case drew widespread attention in Japan and internationally due to the brutal nature of the crimes and the use of social media platforms to target vulnerable individuals expressing suicidal thoughts.
Between August and October 2017, Shiraishi used Twitter to approach his victims, offering to assist them with their suicidal wishes or to die alongside them, before killing them and dismembering their bodies in his apartment near Tokyo. He pleaded guilty in 2020, and his death sentence was upheld despite appeals from his defense citing mental incompetence.
Justice Ministry officials stated the execution reflects Japan’s stance on maintaining the death penalty for heinous crimes, emphasizing the gravity of Shiraishi’s actions and the suffering inflicted on the victims’ families. Japan remains one of the few developed nations to enforce capital punishment, with strong public support for executions in cases involving serial murders.
Human rights organizations have criticized the execution, renewing calls for Japan to consider a moratorium on capital punishment. However, government officials have reaffirmed the death penalty’s role as a deterrent in severe criminal cases.
The victims’ families, while expressing continued grief, stated through representatives that the execution brings a measure of closure.
With input from Al Jazeera
