The man who assassinated former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been sentenced to life imprisonment, more than three years after the killing shocked Japan and the world.
A court in Nara on Wednesday handed down the sentence to Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, who admitted to fatally shooting Abe during a campaign event in 2022. The verdict was delivered by Judge Shinichi Tanaka.
Prosecutors, who sought a life sentence, described the killing as “unprecedented in our post-war history,” adding that it had “extremely serious consequences” for Japanese society.
At the trial’s opening in October, prosecutors said Yamagami was motivated by resentment toward the Unification Church, arguing that he believed killing Abe would draw public attention to the organisation and fuel criticism against it.
Yamagami’s lawyers had urged the court to impose a maximum sentence of 20 years, citing hardship suffered by his family after his mother donated her life savings to the church.
Large crowds queued to obtain tickets to enter the courtroom, underscoring strong public interest in the case.
Abe’s killing exposed longstanding ties between Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Unification Church. A subsequent internal probe revealed that more than 100 lawmakers had dealings with the organisation, contributing to declining public support for the party.
Japanese media quoted Yamagami as telling the court that he targeted Abe because the former prime minister had once sent a video message to an event linked to the church.
Founded in South Korea in 1954, the Unification Church is known for its mass weddings and relies heavily on Japanese followers for funding.
Abe, who served as prime minister for a total of 3,188 days across two terms, stepped down in September 2020 due to health reasons. Internationally, he was noted for his close relationship with former US President Donald Trump, becoming the first foreign leader to meet him after the 2016 election.
Although divisive at home, Abe remained an influential political figure until his death.
