A Japanese court has sentenced a man who confessed to killing former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to life in prison, NHK reported on Wednesday. The case has renewed public focus on the long-standing links between Japan’s ruling party and a controversial South Korean religious group.
The Nara District Court found Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, guilty of murder and handed down a life sentence, matching what prosecutors had asked for. Yamagami admitted to shooting Abe in July 2022 while the former prime minister was delivering an election speech in the city of Nara.
Abe, one of Japan’s most powerful and well-known political figures, had stepped down as prime minister but was still serving as a lawmaker at the time. His killing stunned the country, which is known for having very strict gun laws.
During the trial, Yamagami said he acted out of anger toward a religious group linked to the Unification Church. He told the court he wanted to hurt the group after seeing a video message Abe had sent to an event connected to the church. His goal, he said, was to expose the relationship between Abe and the group.
Prosecutors argued that life imprisonment was appropriate. Defense lawyers asked for a lighter sentence of no more than 20 years, pointing to Yamagami’s difficult childhood as the son of a church follower. Although Japan allows the death penalty for murder, it is usually sought only in cases with multiple victims.
The assassination led to strong criticism of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s connections with the church. Afterward, the party moved to distance itself from the group. Investigations later resulted in the Japanese branch of the church losing its tax benefits and being ordered to dissolve. Security for politicians was also reviewed and strengthened.
Abe was shot on July 8, 2022, near a train station in Nara. Television footage showed him collapsing after being shot twice, and officials said he died shortly after. Yamagami was arrested at the scene and later said he had first planned to target the church’s leader but chose Abe instead because of easier access.
The case also drew attention to problems faced by children of church members and helped push new laws to limit forced donations. Yamagami has received sympathy from some members of the public, especially critics of the church, with many signing petitions for leniency and sending support to his family and the detention center where he is being held.
-20260120075658.webp)
-20260120062627.webp)
-20260119094509.webp)
-20260121062240.jpg)
