A Japanese court is set to announce its verdict and sentence today in the high-profile assassination trial of Tetsuya Yamagami, the man who fatally shot former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in July 2022. The ruling comes more than three and a half years after the shocking attack, which stunned Japan and exposed deep ties between the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the controversial Unification Church.
Yamagami, now 45, was arrested immediately after firing homemade shots at Abe during a campaign speech in Nara. The 67-year-old Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister with 3,188 days in office across two terms, died shortly after. Yamagami confessed to the killing at the trial’s opening in October at Nara District Court, admitting he targeted Abe due to a personal grudge against the Unification Church.
According to court statements, Yamagami blamed the church—often described as a cult—for his family’s financial ruin after his mother made massive donations. He claimed Abe became his target because the former leader had sent a video message to an affiliated group event. Prosecutors described the assassination as an “extremely grave incident unprecedented in post-war history” and demanded a life sentence.
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Defense lawyers countered by urging leniency, arguing the family’s suffering should mitigate the punishment and cap the term at around 20 years. A guilty verdict is widely expected, with focus now on whether the court imposes life imprisonment or a lesser sentence.
The killing triggered major political fallout, revealing over 100 LDP lawmakers had links to the Unification Church and contributing to voter backlash. Abe’s death created a leadership vacuum in the party, which has since seen multiple prime ministers. Current Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Abe’s protégé, now leads both the government and LDP amid weakened support.
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