Japan executes 2 convicted of murder in 1st jury trial

TOKYO – Japan has executed the first two people convicted by a jury trial instead of professional judges under a new system that began six years ago.

The two men were the 63-year-old Sumitoshi Tsuda, convicted of killing three people in 2009, and the 39-eyar-old Kazuyuki Wakabayashi, convicted of killing a woman and her daughter in 2006.

The Justice Ministry says Tsuda was put to death in a Tokyo facility, while Wakabayashi was executed in Sendai, on Friday. Death penalty in Japan is by hanging.

Amnesty International criticized the executions, saying they brought to 14 the number of people put to death under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.