Abe assassination suspect Tetsuya Yamagami indicted over shooting
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Prosecutors indicted Tetsuya Yamagami on Friday in connection with the July 8 assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe — a shooting that shocked the world and led to intense scrutiny over ties between religion and politics in Japan.
Yamagami, who was arrested on suspicion of shooting Abe as the high-profile politician gave a speech in the city of Nara, has been charged with murder and violations of the firearms and sword law.
He has reportedly admitted to the shooting, saying he targeted Abe over his ties to the Unification Church, which is known for its mass weddings and aggressive tactics for soliciting donations. The suspect has also told investigators that he had long held a grudge against the controversial religious group, saying that his mother’s blind faith in – and excessive donations to – the church had ruined his family.
From late July through this week, Yamagami, 42, was held at the Osaka Detention Center, where he underwent psychiatric evaluation, a process needed for prosecutors to establish his criminal responsibility. Through interviews with a prosecution-appointed psychiatrist and medical examinations, the prosecutors judged that the suspect is fit to stand trial.
Content retrieved from: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/01/13/national/crime-legal/tetsuya-yamagami-abe-shooting-indictment/.
The assassin will probably spend the rest of his life in prison, but many Japanese have some sympathy for him due to the way the Unification Church preyed upon his family.