Former PM Abe's Shooter Admits Guilty In Trial

JAKARTA - A man charged with the murder of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022 pleaded guilty in the first trial to be held on Tuesday.

Tetsuya Yamagami (45) said in the Nara District Court, "That's true. There's no doubt I did it," as quoted by Kyodo News Oct. 28.

He was accused of killing the late Abe with homemade firearms during a speech at a general election campaign in western Japan, to be precise near Yamato-Saidaiji Station in Nara on July 8, 2022.

The trial of this case drew the spotlight on whether the court would provide leniency, because the defense argued that the suspect's personality and behavior were formed by parenting, which was marked by religious harassment.

According to legal counsel, Yamagami's mother, a follower of the Unification Church, donated 100 million yen to the group. She was among 12 witnesses scheduled to testify ahead of court ruling on January 21.

During the trial, prosecutors said Yamagami held a grudge against the Unification Church after her mother became a follower and committed the crime, confident shooting Abe would draw "concern and criticism" against the group.

Prosecutors said the consequences of the crime "unprecedented" in Japan after the war, arguing that the defendant's difficult childhood should not be used to justify "substantial reduced sentence."

Abe became the target because his grandfather, former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi, helped introduce the group, which was formed in 1954, to Japan, according to a previous source of investigation.

Yamagami was also charged with causing damage to a building due to a test-firing and violating laws governing firearms, explosives, and weapons manufacturing.

The case drew 727 people lining up on Tuesday morning hoping to get one of 32 public seats in the courtroom, which was determined by lottery.

The Unification Church is under intense scrutiny over its ties to members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, previously led by Abe.

The suffering of "second generation" followers, or children members of the Unification Church, was also revealed. The church, known for its aggressive fundraising practices, faces dissolution following a court ruling for disbandment, which has been appealed.