The suspect in the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe admitted in court on Tuesday that he shot and killed the country’s longest serving leader during a campaign event in 2022.
Forty five year old Tetsuya Yamagami told judges at the Nara District Court that he accepted all of the charges read to him by prosecutors, including murder and violations of firearms control laws. According to AFP, he stated, Everything is true when asked to confirm his confession.
The shooting shocked Japan and drew international attention because gun violence in the country is extremely rare.
Abe was speaking in the western city of Nara on July 8 2022 when Yamagami opened fire with a homemade weapon. Security officials detained him immediately at the scene.
Investigators say the suspect acted due to resentment toward the Unification Church. He believed Abe and members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party had close connections to the South Korean founded religious movement.
Japanese media reported that Yamagami’s mother donated about six hundred sixty three thousand dollars to the church, leaving the family in financial ruin. The group often referred to as Moonies has faced controversy for decades over its fundraising practices.
After Abe’s death, public backlash grew when more than one hundred lawmakers from the Liberal Democratic Party were revealed to have ties with the organization. Support for the party dropped as the revelations continued.
The trial is expected to continue with seventeen additional hearings this year. Judges plan to deliver a verdict on January 21.
The case formally began on the same day Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi met United States President Donald Trump in Tokyo. During their meeting at Akasaka Palace, Takaichi gave Trump a golf putter once owned by Abe, along with other golf memorabilia.
Abe served nearly nine years as prime minister, longer than any other Japanese leader. His influence remains visible in political events and speeches across the country.
The court will now examine evidence and witness testimony as it moves toward sentencing for one of Japan’s most shocking crimes in recent history.
Africa Digital News, New York
