Trial Begins for Accused Killer of Former Japan PM Shinzo Abe Amid Political Connections to Unification Church

Shinzo Abe was assassinated during a campaign speech in the Japanese city of Nara in July 2022.

Tokyo:

The man accused of fatally shooting former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is scheduled to stand trial on Tuesday, three years after the assassination that shocked Japan, a nation where gun violence and political attacks are exceedingly uncommon.

The trial commences on the same day that two of Abe's former associates, current Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and visiting United States President Donald Trump, are meeting for a summit.

Tetsuya Yamagami, aged 45, was apprehended immediately following the shooting in July 2022 after allegedly firing at Abe with a self-manufactured weapon while the former leader delivered a campaign speech in Nara, western Japan.

According to local media reports, Yamagami targeted Abe for his promotion of the Unification Church, a religious organization against which he harbored resentment after his mother donated approximately 100 million yen ($663,218) to the group.

The Unification Church, established in South Korea in 1954, is renowned for its mass wedding ceremonies and relies heavily on Japanese followers as a significant revenue source.

Having completed pretrial proceedings, Yamagami is expected to admit to the murder charge while contesting portions of the indictment related to violations of the Firearms and Swords Control Act and Ordnance Manufacturing Act, as stated by an official from the Nara District Court.

Following the assassination, revelations emerged that over one hundred lawmakers from Abe's Liberal Democratic Party maintained connections with the Unification Church, causing a decline in public support for the ruling party, now under Takaichi's leadership.

After the initial court session on Tuesday, beginning at 2 p.m. (0500 GMT), 17 additional hearings are planned before the end of the year, with a verdict scheduled for January 21.