The Nagoya High Court on Tuesday revoked its earlier decision to reopen the trial of a man convicted of killing five people with poisoned wine in Nabari, Mie Prefecture, in 1961, accepting an objection filed by prosecutors.
The decision was made on a petition for a retrial by Masaru Okunishi, 80, who has been on death row since 1972 after being convicted of serving poisoned wine at a gathering of 20 women, resulting in the deaths of the five, including his wife and his lover, while injuring 12 others.
The high court also revoked a decision to suspend Okunishi's execution.