Members of a nonpartisan legislator group seeking to abolish the death penalty lodged a protest Friday with Justice Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki over Thursday's execution of three death-row inmates.

Shizuka Kamei, who heads the group, urged Tanigaki to proactively inform the public about the global trend to end capital punishment.

"People are not informed enough about the fact that the number of countries abolishing the death penalty is increasing. It is the Justice Ministry's duty to provide such important information" to the public, Kamei said.

Kamei quoted Tanigaki as saying he will "think hard about how the capital punishment system should be."