Assassin of former Japanese Premier Abe sentenced to life imprisonment
Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, Shinzo Abe, was shot dead in 2022 during a visit to the western Japanese city of Nara.
A Japanese court has given life in prison to the man behind the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, local media reported.
Prosecutors had sought a life sentence for Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, who admitted to murdering Abe in 2022 with a handmade firearm during a campaign speech in the western Japanese city of Nara, Kyodo News reported on Wednesday.
Yamagami said he held a grudge against the Unification Church, which Abe was connected to, over the financial ruin his family suffered due to his mother's massive donations to the group.
The assassination prompted a government probe into the church’s solicitation of financially ruinous donations from members, ultimately leading to its dissolution and legislation against such practices.
Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, was gunned down while addressing voters ahead of parliamentary elections.
The attack, unprecedented in a country known for its low crime rate and tight gun laws, sparked a nationwide outpouring of grief and soul-searching over political security.