A Japanese court has sentenced Tetsuya Yamagami to life in prison for the murder of former prime minister Shinzo Abe, a crime that shocked the nation and exposed political ties to a controversial religious group. The 45-year-old pleaded guilty to shooting Abe in July 2022 as he campaigned in the city of Nara.
Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, was killed by a homemade weapon in a country where gun crime is almost unheard of. Yamagami was wrestled to the ground by security moments after the attack.
Prosecutors had sought a life sentence, rejecting the death penalty typically reserved for multiple killings, while the defence argued for no more than 20 years. Under Japanese law, life imprisonment allows parole, though many inmates die in custody.
Yamagami’s motive was revenge for Abe’s links to the Unification Church, which he blamed for his family’s poverty after his mother donated over ¥100m to the organisation. He told investigators he hoped to draw attention to the church and damage its reputation.
The case led to public sympathy for Yamagami, with thousands signing a petition for leniency. It also prompted the government to distance itself from the church, which was later stripped of its tax-exempt status, and spurred a new law against malicious fundraising by religious groups.
