A Japanese court on Wednesday sentenced Tetsuya Yamagami to life imprisonment for the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abenearly three and a half years after the killing shocked the nation.
Yamagami had admitted to fatally shooting Abe in July 2022 while the former prime minister was delivering a campaign speech in the western city of Nara. Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, was campaigning for a ruling party candidate at the time of the attack.
The murder, carried out in broad daylight using a homemade firearm, stunned Japan and the international community, raising serious questions about security at political events in a country known for its strict gun laws and low violent crime rates.
Abe, who had stepped down as prime minister in 2020 but remained an influential lawmaker, was rushed to hospital after the shooting but later succumbed to his injuries.
More details are awaited.
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