The trial of Tetsuya Yamagami, accused of assassinating former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, opens three years after the shooting.
TOKYO: The man accused of assassinating former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will stand trial on Tuesday, three years after the killing shocked a nation unaccustomed to gun violence and political assassinations.
The trial begins on the same day that two of Abe’s political allies, current Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and visiting U.S. President Donald Trump, are scheduled to hold a summit meeting.
Tetsuya Yamagami, aged 45, was apprehended immediately after the shooting in July 2022, where he allegedly used a homemade firearm to attack Abe during a campaign speech in Nara.
Japanese media reported that Yamagami held Abe responsible for promoting the Unification Church, a religious organisation he resented after his mother donated approximately 100 million yen.
The Unification Church originated in South Korea in 1954 and is well known for conducting mass weddings while relying heavily on financial contributions from its Japanese members.
Following pretrial procedures, Yamagami is expected to plead guilty to murder while contesting certain charges under the Firearms and Swords Control Act and the Ordnance Manufacturing Act.
The assassination prompted investigations that uncovered connections between over one hundred lawmakers from Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party and the Unification Church, damaging public confidence in the ruling party now headed by Takaichi.
Seventeen additional court hearings are scheduled after Tuesday’s initial session, which starts at 2 p.m., leading to a verdict expected on January 21. – Reuters
