The assassin of Japanese Prime Minister Abe has been sentenced to life imprisonment

A Japanese court in Nara sentenced Teju Yamagami to life imprisonment for the murder of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which he committed during an election rally in 2022.

The assassin shot Abe twice from behind with a homemade firearm made from two metal pipes and adhesive tape. The former prime minister died from his injuries at the scene.

According to the BBC, the defendant confessed to the crime and claimed that his motive was revenge against the Unification Church, to which his mother belonged. She donated a large part of the family's assets to the church, including her late husband's life insurance policy, which, according to the defense, led to the family's bankruptcy and destabilization.

Yamagami associated Abe with the church after seeing him speak at one of its events in 2021, even though the former prime minister was not a member of the church. The defense requested a more lenient sentence, while the prosecution sought life imprisonment.

The case sparked a major public debate in Japan about the influence of religious groups on politics.

After the assassination, the government investigated the activities of the Unification Church, and several politicians with ties to the organization resigned. The church was later stripped of its status as a religious organization.

The court classified the act as an extremely serious and malicious crime committed with premeditation and intent.

(pir)