Japan: Suspect in Shinzo Abe’s Death Charged with Murder

Japan’s prosecutor’s office indicted suspect in former prime minister’s death with murder shinzo abewho will stand trial, a court said on Friday.

tetsuya yamagami was arrested immediately after allegedly shooting abe with a homemade pistol in July as the former president gave an election speech outside a train station in Nara, western Japan. He underwent a psychological evaluation for about six months which, according to the prosecution, showed that he is fit to stand trial.

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Yamagami he was also accused of violating the arms control law, according to the Nara District Court.

The police said that Yamagami told that he had killed abe, one of Japan’s most influential and divisive politicians, for the apparent link between the leader and a religious group he hated. In statements and social media posts attributed to him, Yamagami He claimed that he held a grudge because his mother made massive donations to the Unification Church that bankrupted his family and ruined his life.

One of his lawyers, Masaaki Furukawa, told The Associated Press on Thursday that Yamagami he will have to take responsibility for the serious consequences of his alleged actions and that his defense will have to do everything possible to reduce his sentence.

Japanese law allows for the death penalty in murder cases, but experts noted that it is often applied in multiple homicide cases and that Yamagami he could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted.

At the moment, no date has been set for the trial, which is expected to have a civilian jury, in addition to judges, as is usual in trials for murder and other serious crimes. Due to the complexity of the case, the start could take months, Furukawa added.

The police are considering adding several charges, such as weapons manufacturing, violation of the explosives control law and damage to buildings.

Some Japanese have expressed sympathy for Yamagami, especially those who suffered as children of followers of the South Korean Unification Church, which is known for pressuring its members for large donations and is considered a cult in Japan.

Thousands of people signed a clemency petition for Yamagami and others have sent relief packages to their relatives or to the detention center.

The investigation into the case has revealed years of close ties between the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the church since the grandfather of abeformer Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi, helped the institution establish itself in Japan in the 1960s by sharing interests in conservative and anti-communist causes.

The popularity of the current prime minister, Fumio Kishida, has plummeted over his handling of the controversy with the church and his insistence on holding an unusual and controversial state funeral for abe.

Source: Elcomercio

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I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.