Nara: The man accused of assassinating former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, Tetsuya Yamagami, pleaded guilty at the start of his trial on Tuesday. Yamagami, 45, is accused of using a homemade firearm to shoot Japan's longest-serving post-war prime minister during an election campaign speech in 2022.
According to Ghana News Agency, a verdict is expected in January. Yamagami reportedly informed investigators that his actions were driven by animosity towards the Unification Church. This religious organization, founded in South Korea in 1954 by Sun Myung Moon, received support in Japan from Abe's grandfather, former prime minister Nobusuke Kishi. Yamagami's mother had donated significant sums of money to the church, which left the family financially devastated.
Abe's assassination highlighted the links between the Unification Church and members of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Media reports indicate that Yamagami denied acting out of resentment towards Abe's political views during questioning after his arrest. Initially, he reportedly did not intend to target the right-wing politician, but rather a leader of the Unification Church.
The trial has garnered significant interest in Japan, with more than 700 people lining up outside the Nara District Court at its opening to secure one of the 32 public seats in the courtroom. The tickets for these seats were distributed by lottery.
