JAPAN. ACTIVISTS CONDEMN JAPAN HANGINGS

Human Rights groups strongly condemned the hanging of three convicted criminals by Japan. "We strongly condemn the executions," Amnesty International Japan said. "We hope that Japan will take a step in the near future toward abolishing the death penalty, which is an extreme form of human rights violation."
Kyodo News agency identified the men as Hifumi Takezawa, 69, Yoshio Iwamoto, 63, and Kozo Segawa, 60. The three had been convicted of multiple murders and Mr Iwamoto and Mr Segawa were also convicted of robberies.