The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan (CBCJ) has strongly condemned the government’s decision to execute Takahiro Shiraishi, known as the “Twitter killer,” calling the move a setback for human rights and global momentum toward abolishing capital punishment.
Shiraishi, 34, was hanged on June 27 at the Tokyo Detention Center for the murder of nine people in 2017. He lured his victims—mostly young women—through social media, offering assistance to those struggling with suicidal thoughts.
The killings took place between August and October 2017 in Zama City, Kanagawa Prefecture.
In a protest statement issued on July 7, the CBCJ’s Social Issues Committee said it “strongly protests” the execution and renewed its call to end the death penalty in Japan.
“Even a criminal has the inviolable right to live, a gift from God,” the bishops said, quoting Pope Francis. “We cannot condone the death penalty, as it is an assault on the inviolability and dignity of the human person.”
The bishops said the execution broke what could have been a three-year moratorium in Japan, noting that it took place just as public debate over wrongful convictions and retrial reforms was gaining ground.
A bill seeking to revise the retrial system had been submitted to the Diet just nine days earlier.
“This was an execution that seemed to go against the global movement to abolish the death penalty and cannot be overlooked,” the statement read.
While acknowledging the gravity of Shiraishi’s crimes, the bishops said the execution denied both the offender and the victims’ families the possibility of healing and justice.
“He should have fully confronted the gravity of his actions and spent the rest of his life taking responsibility for them,” they said. “The Japanese government took his life before such a process could unfold… denying him the opportunity to repent and reform, as well as to make amends to the victims’ families.”
The bishops expressed condolences for the nine victims and prayed for comfort for their families. “We… deeply remember Mr. Takahiro Shiraishi, who was executed as the perpetrator, and we call on the Japanese government to re-examine the death penalty system and take swift action toward its abolition,” the statement said.
The message was signed by Bishop Nobukazu Moriyama, chair of the CBCJ’s Social Issues Committee.
Japan is one of the few developed nations that retains capital punishment. Human rights groups have long criticized its secretive execution process and lack of transparency, while UN resolutions continue to call for a global moratorium.
