Life Sentence Sought for Abe Shooter Yamagami

Nara, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–Public prosecutors on Thursday sought a life sentence for Tetsuya Yamagami, who is charged with fatally shooting former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the western city of Nara in July 2022. In the 15th hearing of the lay-judge trial of Yamagami, 45, at Nara District Court, the prosecution said that the shooting was “an extremely grave incident unprecedented in our country’s postwar history” and a “shortsighted and selfish” crime, leaving “no room for leniency.” The defense requested a fixed-term sentence. The verdict is scheduled to be handed down on Jan. 21. The trial has focused on the severity of the sentence. The defense argues that Yamagami suffered from “religious abuse” due to his mother’s involvement with the Unification Church. During the trial, he cited the former prime minister’s alleged ties with the religious group. In its closing argument on Thursday, the prosecution emphasized, “It’s absolutely unacceptable in a law-governed country to resort to violent means to damage a specific organization.” The prosecution claimed that the impact of his mother’s large donations to the Unification Church and other circumstances on his decision-making was “extremely limited” and should not mitigate his punishment. Prior to the argument, a document written by Abe’s widow, Akie, was read aloud. She asked Yamagami to face up to what he did squarely and pay for his crime properly. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]