Shinzo Abe assassination: Japan court sentences man to life imprisonment for killing ex-Prime Minister

PTC News Desk: A Japanese court on Wednesday sentenced the man to life imprisonment for shooting dead former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in a rare act of gun violence. The court verdict has put an end to years-long legal battle in the case that sent shockwaves through Japan’s political system and society.

Prosecutors had pressed for a life sentence, describing the assassination as an “extremely grave incident, unprecedented in post-war history,” according to Reuters. Defence lawyers, however, sought a reduced punishment, arguing that Yamagami’s family had suffered long-term damage due to their association with the Unification Church.

Shinzo Abe assassination: What happened in Nara

Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe was shot dead on July 8, 2022, while addressing an election rally near a railway station in the western city of Nara. Television footage captured two gunshots as Abe raised his fist before collapsing and clutching his chest. Authorities later confirmed that he died almost immediately. The court convicted Tetsuya Yamagami of murder and firearms-related offences, upholding the prosecution’s demand for life imprisonment. His defence team had argued for a sentence not exceeding 20 years, citing his upbringing in a family linked to a controversial religious group.

During the trial, Yamagami told the court that his actions were motivated by deep resentment toward the Unification Church, officially known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification.

He said he decided to kill Abe after watching a video message in which the former prime minister addressed a group connected to the church. Yamagami testified that his aim was to harm the organisation and draw attention to what he believed were its links to Abe, rather than to attack the politician over ideological or policy differences.