The longest-serving death row inmate in the world has been granted a re-trial. Iwao Hakamada has spent 45 years in solitary confinement in Japan.

Now aged 78, was convicted of killing four people, but he claims his confession followed brutal police interrogation and beatings.

Mr. Iwao was sentenced to death in 1968 after he was convicted of the murder of his boss, his boss's wife and their two children.

Shizuoka District Court granted his latest request for a retrial at a hearing today. Prosecutors have four days to appeal the court's decision.

There are also doubts because of new DNA evidence.

Roseann Rife from Amnesty International said "Time is running out for Hakamada to receive the fair trial he was denied more than four decades ago".

She says it would be "most callous and unfair" of prosecutors to appeal the court’s decision.

"If ever there was a case that merits a retrial, this is it. Hakamada was convicted on the basis of a forced confession and there remain unanswered questions over recent DNA evidence" she added.

Amnesty says Mr. Hakamada confessed after 20 days of interrogation by police, but that he retracted the confession during the trial and told the court that police had beaten and threatened him.

According to his lawyers, recent forensic tests show no match between Hakamada's DNA and samples taken from clothing the prosecution alleges was worn by the murderer.

Amnesty International has called on the Japanese government to introduce a moratorium on executions as a first step towards abolition of the death penalty.