Tuesday, 02 January 2024 12:17 GMT

Accused killer of Japan’s former PM pleads guilty


(MENAFN) Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, the man accused of murdering Japan’s longest-serving Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, pleaded guilty as his trial began Tuesday.

On July 8, 2022, Yamagami shot Abe during an election event in Nara city using a homemade firearm. Abe later died from his injuries.

According to Kyodo News, Yamagami told investigators he acted out of a grudge against the Unification Church, blaming the group for his family’s financial ruin caused by his mother’s donations—estimated at around 100 million yen ($660,000).

The assassination exposed ties between the church and lawmakers of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). The Nara District Court is expected to issue its ruling in January 2026. Following the killing, Japan dissolved the Unification Church in March 2025. The cult was known for mass weddings and aggressive donation solicitations, and its links to the LDP have damaged public trust in the party.

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