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Supreme Court Upholds 18-Year Sentence for Doctor in Kyoto

KYOTO, Jun 17 (News On Japan) - The Supreme Court has finalized the sentence of 18 years in prison for Yoshikazu Okubo, who conspired with a former doctor to carry out an assisted death in Kyoto in 2019 at the request of a female patient suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

During previous trials, Okubo argued that he acted to fulfill the woman's wish, while the defense maintained that punishing him under the charge of murder by request violated the Constitution and sought acquittal. However, the Kyoto District Court handed down an 18-year prison sentence, which was subsequently upheld by the Osaka High Court. Okubo appealed, but the Supreme Court has now rejected the appeal, making the 18-year sentence final.

Source: ABCTVnews

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