Japan prosecutes the killer of Shinzo Abe
Kyodo news agency quoted informed sources as saying on December 24 that Japanese prosecutors have decided to prosecute Tetsuya Yamagami (42 years old), the man accused of murdering former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in July, after the suspect underwent a psychiatric evaluation.
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Tetsuya Yamagami, the man accused of murdering former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Photo: AFP/TTXVN |
The Nara District Prosecutors' Office had previously extended Yamagami's detention to carefully examine whether he was mentally fit to stand trial. Yamagami's detention was set to expire on January 10. Yamagami was arrested on murder charges after shooting Abe on July 8 while he was campaigning for the ruling party in Nara City.
Yamagami served in the Japan Self-Defense Forces from 2002 to 2005. He lived in an apartment in Nara City, but retired from service in May 2022 due to health reasons.
According to investigative sources, Yamagami told investigators that he had animosity toward the Unification Church, a religious group known for its mass weddings and aggressive fundraising appeals, and targeted Mr. Abe because he believed the former prime minister had links to the organization.
Mr Abe, 67, was shot from behind at around 11:30 a.m. on July 8 (Tokyo time) while campaigning for a candidate of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in the city of Nara, western Japan. He died at 5:03 p.m. the same day. After the attack, Japanese police arrested the suspect, 41-year-old Yamagami, and seized a homemade gun at the scene.
