The man who killed former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been sentenced to life in prison three and a half years after he fired the fatal shot at the former leader during a rally in Nara in 2022, UNN reports, citing the BBC.
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Tetsuya Yamagami himself pleaded guilty to the crime at the start of the trial last year, but the punishment he deserves has divided public opinion in Japan. While many consider the 45-year-old a cold-blooded killer, some sympathize with his troubled upbringing.
Prosecutors said Yamagami deserved life in prison for his "heinous act." Abe's assassination shocked a country with virtually no gun crime.
Seeking a lighter sentence, Yamagami's defense stated that he was a victim of "religious violence."
His mother's devotion to the Unification Church led to the family's bankruptcy, and Yamagami harbored a grudge against Abe after realizing the former leader's ties to the controversial church, the publication writes.
Nearly 700 people lined up outside the Nara District Court building on Wednesday to attend the sentencing hearing.
Abe's shocking death during a daytime speech prompted an investigation into the Unification Church and its questionable activities, including collecting financially ruinous donations from its followers.
The case also exposed ties to politicians of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and led to the resignation of several cabinet ministers.
Founded in South Korea, the Unification Church came to Japan in the 1960s and cultivated ties with politicians to expand its following, researchers say.
Although Abe was not a member of the church, he, like several other Japanese politicians, occasionally appeared at church-related events. His grandfather Nobusuke Kishi, also a former prime minister, is said to have been close to the group due to its anti-communist stance.
In March last year, a Tokyo court stripped the church of its religious corporation status, ruling that it coerced followers into buying expensive items by exploiting fears about their spiritual well-being. The church also sparked controversy for holding mass wedding ceremonies involving thousands of couples.