July 9 

Japan Court Sentences Man to Death

TOKYO  - A man who committed a string of murders as a juvenile was sentenced to death Monday, prompting protests from human rights groups.

The 26-year-old defendant, whose identity cannot be released under Japan's juvenile code, was convicted of killing four men over an 11-day period in western Japan in 1994, court spokesman Junji Takeuchi said.

He was 19 when he committed the crimes.

``Since he was a minor at the time, the court should have thought of rehabilitating him rather than punishing him,'' said Akira Ishikawa of Amnesty International.

Two accomplices, then aged 18 and 19, were sentenced to life, Takeuchi said.

The defendants reportedly beat three of their victims to death because they thought they were being stared at. Another victim was killed in an extortion attempt.

Under Japanese law, anyone under the age of 20 is considered a minor. Japan's juvenile code protects minors aged up to 18 from the death penalty. Several minors in the 18-19 age bracket have been sentenced to death in Japan in the past.

Japan resumed the death penalty in 1993 after a four-year moratorium. About 40 people have been executed since then.