In a controversial euthanasia case, the Osaka High Court upheld the previous ruling on the 13th, sentencing former doctor Naoki Yamamoto (47) to two years and six months in prison.
He was convicted for assisting in the killing of ALS patient Yuri Hayashi (then 51) in Kyoto in 2019 at her request.
The court confirmed that Yamamoto collaborated with another doctor, Yuichi Okubo (46), who has been sentenced to 18 years in prison.
On November 30, 2019, the two administered a lethal drug via a gastrostomy tube at Hayashi’s apartment.
She was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
The initial ruling acknowledged that Yamamoto played a subordinate role in the case but noted that he recognized the 1.3 million yen deposited by Hayashi as payment for the act.
The case has reignited debate over euthanasia, patient rights, and the legal limits of assisted dying in Japan.