Tetsuya Yamagami shot the Japanese politician lifeless in 2022.
Printed On 21 Jan 2026
The gunman who killed Japan’s former prime minister Shinzo Abe has been sentenced to life in jail, greater than three years after the politician’s assassination in broad daylight shocked the world.
Choose Shinichi Tanaka handed down the sentence in opposition to Tetsuya Yamagami on Wednesday at a courtroom within the metropolis of Nara.
Advisable Tales
listing of 4 objectsfinish of listing
Yamagami, 45, had admitted to fatally taking pictures Abe in 2022 in a criminal offense that convulsed Japan, the place gun violence is extraordinarily uncommon.
In Japan, a sentence of life imprisonment leaves open the potential for parole, although consultants say that a lot of those that obtain the penalty die whereas incarcerated.
Prosecutors had sought a life sentence for Yamagami, calling the homicide “unprecedented in our post-war historical past” and citing the “extraordinarily critical penalties” it had on society.
On the opening of Yamagami’s trial in October, prosecutors argued that the accused had been motivated to kill Abe by a need tarnish the picture of the Unification Church.
Yamagami “thought if he killed somebody as influential as former prime minister Abe, he may draw public consideration to the Church and gasoline public criticism of it,” a prosecutor mentioned.
Yamagami’s legal professionals had argued for a most punishment of 20 years imprisonment, citing hardship suffered by his household after his month donated her life financial savings to the church.
Individuals queued for get tickets to enter the Nara courtroom on Wednesday morning, highlighting the extreme public curiosity within the trial.
Yamagami’s killing of Abe uncovered deep hyperlinks between Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Social gathering (LDP) and the Unification Church, an organisation many think about a cult.
An inside social gathering investigation discovered that greater than 100 lawmakers had dealings with the church, main many citizens to shun the LDP, which has dominated Japan nearly repeatedly since World Phrase II.
Japanese media quoted Yamagami telling the courtroom that he took out his anger on Abe as a result of the previous prime minister had as soon as despatched a video message to an occasion held by a bunch affiliated with the church.
Based in South Korea in 1954, the Unification Church is known for its mass weddings and counts Japanese followers as a key supply of earnings.
Whereas Abe was a divisive determine domestically, he was among the many few international leaders to have a powerful rapport with US President Donald Trump.
Abe was the primary international chief to satisfy Trump after his 2016 election victory, and the 2 went on to forge a detailed bond over rounds of golf within the US and Japan.
Abe served as prime minister for 3,188 days over two separate phrases, earlier than stepping down in September 2020, citing well being causes.
His protegee Sanae Takaichi now leads Japan and the LDP, however the social gathering’s grip on energy has diminished following the lack of its majorities in each homes of parliament.
Takaichi has repeatedly referenced her friendship with Abe in her personal dealings with Trump.
