Assassin of Japan's ex-PM appeals life sentence

Tetsuya Yamagami, the man who assassinated former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, has filed an appeal against the life sentence handed down against him by a court, local media reported on Wednesday.

Yamagami, 45, submitted the appeal to the Osaka High Court, according to Kyodo News Agency.

He admitted to shooting Abe with a homemade gun during a campaign speech in Nara in July 2022 and was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Nara District Court last month.

He was found guilty of murder as well as the illegal possession and discharge of a firearm.

Yamagami told the court he held a grudge against the Unification Church, which he believed Abe was connected to, blaming it for his family’s financial ruin caused by his mother’s large donations.

Defence lawyers had requested a sentence of no more than 20 years, describing Yamagami as a victim of religious abuse who deserved a chance to rebuild his life. However, the court concluded that the severity and danger of the attack justified life imprisonment.

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, who was 67 years old when he was assassinated, was Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, having served two terms in 2006–2007 and 2012–2020.