A 33-year-old death row inmate has filed a lawsuit against the government demanding it rescind the Justice Ministry's directive, which bars him from using colored pencils.
Akihiro Okumoto is on death row at the Fukuoka detention center and claims he was barred from using colored pencils and argues that the restriction is a violation of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression.
Okumoto filed a lawsuit with the Tokyo District Court seeking the withdrawal of the directive.
The first court hearing was held at the district court on Thursday. The government submitted a counterargument requesting the lawsuit be dismissed.
According to the complaint, Okumoto was accused of murdering his wife, child and mother-in-law in Miyazaki in 2010 and was sentenced to death in 2014. While at the detention center, he drew pictures using colored pencils to reflect on his crimes. He later sold them to financially compensate the families who lost their loved ones.
In October last year, the ministry revised the directive that stipulates what items death row inmates can use, and personal colored pencils and pencil sharpeners became banned.
The defense argued that the directive was an internal administrative matter and could not be rescinded in a lawsuit.
On Thursday, Okumoto's lawyer said drawing was essential for Okumoto as a way to atone for his crimes.
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