A Nepalese man who was exonerated on Wednesday by a Tokyo court in a high-profile murder case says Japan’s government must apologise for wrongfully jailing him for 15 years.
Govind Prasad Mainali was a migrant worker in Tokyo when he was arrested in 1997 on a charge of murdering a Japanese woman. He was convicted in 2000 and later sentenced to life in prison. After new DNA evidence pointed to his innocence, Mainali was released in June and deported to Nepal for previously overstaying his visa.
After he was officially acquitted on Wednesday, Mainali, who’s now 46, said he finally received justice but demanded the Japanese government, police and everyone else involved in the case apologise to him and his family.
He said his Japanese lawyers were working on seeking compensation.