Shinzo Abe’s killer gets life imprisonment, court rejects appeal to reduce sentence; Big decision of Japanese court after 3 years

Shinzo Abe Assassination Verdict: A Japanese court has given a historic verdict in the murder case of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and sentenced the accused Tetsuya Yamagami to life imprisonment. According to local news channel NHK, the Nara District Court gave this decision on January 21, 2026.

45-year-old Yamagami had confessed to his crime during the trial that started in October 2024. The defense had requested the court to limit the sentence to 20 years but the court rejected it outright in view of the seriousness of the crime.

When was Shinzo Abe assassinated?

The incident occurred on July 8, 2022, when Shinzo Abe was giving an election campaign speech outside a railway station in Nara city in western Japan. According to eyewitnesses and TV footage, suddenly two gunshots were heard and Abe fell on the ground bleeding. His shirt turned red with blood and according to officials he died instantly. The police arrested the attacker Tetsuya Yamagami on the spot. This massacre shocked not only Japan but the entire international community.

What was the reason behind the murder?

During the trial, Yamagami revealed that he had not murdered Shinzo Abe because of any personal rivalry or political ideology. The accused said that he hated a South Korean church and wanted to cause great harm to it. He believed that Abe was the biggest symbol of the political relationships of this church.

Yamagami told the court that he targeted Abe because of a video message in which the former PM supported that church. Interestingly, the real motive of the accused was to kill some big leader of the church but since it was difficult to reach him, he targeted Shinzo Abe.

political and social impact

After this massacre, there was a big upheaval in Japanese politics. The long-standing and close ties between the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the controversial church were exposed. After immense public pressure the party distanced itself from the Church.

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Following a government investigation, the court not only stripped the Japanese branch of the church of its tax-exempt status but also ordered its dissolution. Yamagami apologized to Shinzo Abe’s wife, Akiye Abe, during the hearing and clarified that he had no personal animosity toward the family.