Defense for Abe’s Killer to Appeal Indefinite Term Ruling

Osaka, Feb. 3 (Jiji Press)–The defense for Tetsuya Yamagami, who was given an indefinite prison term for the 2022 murder of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, plans to appeal the sentence issued last month, informed sources said Tuesday. The appeal is set to be filed with Osaka High Court on Wednesday to challenge the ruling handed down by Nara District Court. Yamagami, 45, is said to have agreed with the plan. During the trial, the defendant admitted to the murder charge. Still, the defense claimed that his troubled background related to the controversial religious group Unification Church constituted “religious abuse” and was deeply related to the motive for the crime, which should be the most important factor in sentencing. The defense argued that his sentence should be no more than 20 years. The Jan. 21 ruling in the lay-judge trial of Yamagami said that it cannot be denied that the defendant’s background was a remote cause of the crime, while adding that it cannot be said the defendant’s background greatly influenced his decision to kill Abe. Yamagami was sentenced to life in prison as requested by prosecutors. According to the ruling, Yamagami fired a handmade gun at Abe twice from close range on a street in Nara, western Japan, in July 2022, causing him to bleed to death. Abe was giving a stump speech ahead of a House of Councillors election. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]