Surprise letter of Abe’s killer reveals reasons for assasinating former PM

Killer of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe - 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami has allegedly written a letter shortly before the shooting, in which he hinted at his plans.

The message was found in his mailbox by a man living in Japan after the murder, who criticised the "Unification Church" religious organisation, which Yamagami blamed for the financial collapse of his family, according to Yomiuri.

The sender's name was not written on the envelope, but there was a contract inside between his mother and the Unification Church. Yamagami's name and address were obvious.

He wrote that he did not consider Abe "the real enemy", but he thought that Abe "is one of the most influential people who sympathise" with the religious organisation, which the killer considered the cause of his family's problems.

The investigative agencies assume that Yamagami wanted to provoke criticism toward the Unification Church by killing the ex-prime minister.

The letter was later printed. Taking into account the postage stamp, the killer sent the message from Okayama City on his way to the building in which Abe delivered a speech on July 7, 2022. Then he entered the hall, but could not get close to the ex-prime minister and decided to postpone the assassination attempt.

The man who received the letter had an online blog criticising the Unification Church. He doesn't know the killer, but the text of the message shows that Yamagami followed his blog. The addressee found the letter in his mailbox on July 13, that is, five days after the shooting.