The Assassination of Shinzo Abe

Life imprisonment for Shinzo Abe's killer

The 45-year-old man who confessed to murdering Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with a homemade gun in 2022 has been sentenced to life in prison, NHK reports.

Tetsuya Yamagami has told investigators that he wanted revenge after his mother was tricked into donating all her money to the so-called Moon cult, to which Abe also belonged.

Yamagami's lawyers have argued that he is a victim who was in despair after losing his future. They instead requested a 20-year prison sentence.

Audiences queue for “the truth about Yamagami”

People queued outside the court in the Japanese city of Nara on Wednesday, hoping to catch a glimpse of Tetsuya Yamagami, who was convicted of the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

31-year-old Manabu Kawashima told AFP outside the court that he hopes to find out “the truth about Yamagami.”

“What happened to former Prime Minister Abe was the event of the century. I liked him while he was alive. His death was a shock.”

According to The Yomiuri Shimbun, the case has sparked very strong reactions across Japan. The newspaper’s analysis of social media posts suggests that many people also feel sympathy for the killer, while others criticize “the trend of treating him like a hero.”

The court announced on Wednesday that Yamagami, who has confessed to the murder, will receive life imprisonment.