Shinzo Abe’s killer sentenced to life in prison

A Japanese court on Wednesday sentenced Tetsuya Yamagami to life in prison for the 2022 assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, concluding a case that exposed deep ties between Japan’s ruling party and a controversial religious group.

The sentencing: Judge Shinichi Tanaka, who called the attack “despicable,” delivered the verdict at Nara District Court. “It is clear that using a gun in a large crowd is an extremely dangerous and malicious crime,” he said. Yamagami, 45, who admitted to all charges during the trial’s opening hearing last October, sat calmly with his hands clasped as the sentence was read.

Prosecutors had pushed for life imprisonment as they deemed the crime an extremely grave incident without precedent in Japan’s post-war era. Meanwhile, defense lawyers sought a maximum 20-year term, contending their client suffered religious abuse and merited rehabilitation opportunities. The sentencing drew intense public interest, with roughly 700 people vying for just 31 available courtroom seats.

Recap: The attack, which occurred on July 8, 2022, saw Yamagami approach Abe from behind as the latter delivered a campaign speech near Yamato-Saidaiji Station in Nara. Yamagami fired twice using a makeshift gun assembled from two metal pipes taped to a wooden mount and powered by a battery circuit. The attack killed Abe, who had served 3,188 days as prime minister across two terms before stepping down in 2020.

The assassination was rooted in Yamagami’s anger toward the Unification Church, which received substantial donations from his mother that caused severe financial hardship for the family. His brother’s 2015 suicide after opposing their mother’s religious involvement intensified his resentment, and Yamagami later testified he chose Abe as a target after watching his video message to a church-affiliated organization.

What people are saying: Abe’s widow Akie released a statement after the sentencing, saying Yamagami must now confront his actions “head on” and thanked those involved in the proceedings. During the trial, Yamagami’s mother testified she believed donations were “more important than my children’s education” and described herself as “the perpetrator.” Meanwhile, public reaction to the sentence was sharply divided. YouTuber Katsunari Ota, 56, told Reuters that Yamagami deserved capital punishment given he killed the country’s longest-serving leader, while monk Satoru Hojo, 67, called a death sentence “absolutely outrageous.”

Yamagami’s attorneys will reportedly consult with him about filing an appeal.