Japanese court imposes life sentence in killing of former PM Abe

A court in western Japan has sentenced Yamagami Tetsuya to life in prison for the fatal shooting of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe more than three years ago. 

According to Japanese media, the ruling was handed down by the Nara District Court on January 21, with further details expected to follow.

Yamagami, 45, was convicted of killing Abe with a homemade firearm while the former prime minister was delivering a speech at an outdoor political event in Nara City on July 8, 2022. From the outset of the trial, Yamagami acknowledged responsibility for the attack and did not contest the charges, including murder.

During proceedings, Yamagami said he viewed Abe as a key figure linking the political establishment with the religious organisation widely known as the Unification Church. He told the court that his mother had donated large sums of money to the group, pushing the family to the brink of financial collapse. His mother testified in November, saying she had prioritised donations over her children’s education and describing herself as responsible for what happened.

Prosecutors sought a life sentence, arguing that the defendant’s personal circumstances had only a very limited bearing on his decision to carry out the killing. Defence lawyers, however, called for a prison term of no more than 20 years, portraying Yamagami as a victim of religiously related abuse who had lost hope for his future but was capable of rehabilitation.

The trial began on October 28 last year and spanned 15 court sessions, with the final hearing held in December. Over the course of five rounds of questioning, Yamagami spoke about his mental state, saying he felt he should no longer be alive because of the harm he had caused. He also said he was driven in part by a desire for revenge following the suicide of his brother in 2015, who had opposed their mother’s religious beliefs. Yamagami told the court that seeing a video message from Abe to an affiliate of the religious group deepened his sense of despair.

In his final remarks, Yamagami apologised to Abe’s family, including his widow, Akie Abe, saying he could only imagine the pain they had endured in the three and a half years since the former prime minister’s death.

By Tamilla Hasanova