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Assassin of Former Premier Shinzo Abe Gets Sentenced to Life
(MENAFN) A Japanese court on Wednesday handed down a life sentence to the man who killed former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, calling the shots fired with a homemade weapon “vile and extremely vicious.”
Prosecutors had requested a life term for 45-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami, who confessed to murdering Abe in 2022 with a handcrafted firearm during a campaign rally in the western city of Nara, a news agency reported.
Yamagami was convicted of murder and of breaching firearm regulations related to gun discharge.
He explained that his motive stemmed from resentment toward the Unification Church, which Abe was linked to, blaming the group for his family’s financial collapse due to his mother’s large donations.
During the proceedings, his defense team argued that the sentence should not exceed 20 years, citing his “tragic” upbringing and victimization by the religious organization as factors behind the crime. They also contended that Yamagami’s improvised gun was not technically covered by the law at the time.
The assassination triggered a government investigation into the church’s fundraising practices, which were deemed financially exploitative. This ultimately led to the group’s dissolution and new legislation banning such methods.
Abe, who was 67 at the time of his death, was Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, holding office in two separate terms: 2006–2007 and 2012–2020.
Prosecutors had requested a life term for 45-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami, who confessed to murdering Abe in 2022 with a handcrafted firearm during a campaign rally in the western city of Nara, a news agency reported.
Yamagami was convicted of murder and of breaching firearm regulations related to gun discharge.
He explained that his motive stemmed from resentment toward the Unification Church, which Abe was linked to, blaming the group for his family’s financial collapse due to his mother’s large donations.
During the proceedings, his defense team argued that the sentence should not exceed 20 years, citing his “tragic” upbringing and victimization by the religious organization as factors behind the crime. They also contended that Yamagami’s improvised gun was not technically covered by the law at the time.
The assassination triggered a government investigation into the church’s fundraising practices, which were deemed financially exploitative. This ultimately led to the group’s dissolution and new legislation banning such methods.
Abe, who was 67 at the time of his death, was Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, holding office in two separate terms: 2006–2007 and 2012–2020.
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