Abe’s Assassin Appeals Life Sentence in Osaka High Court
Tetsuya Yamagami submitted the appeal to the Osaka High Court.
Yamagami, 45, admitted to shooting Abe with a homemade firearm during a campaign speech in Nara in July 2022. He was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Nara District Court last month after being found guilty of murder as well as the illegal possession and discharge of a firearm.
Yamagami told the court he bore a grudge against the Unification Church, which he believed Abe was linked to, blaming the organization for his family’s financial collapse due to his mother’s substantial donations.
Defense lawyers had argued for a sentence of no more than 20 years, describing Yamagami as a victim of religious abuse who deserved a chance to rebuild his life. However, the court ruled that the severity and danger of the attack warranted life imprisonment.
The assassination led to a government investigation into the church’s practices of soliciting financially ruinous donations from members, resulting in its dissolution and legislation to curb such activities.
Abe, who was 67 at the time of his death, was Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, having held office during two terms from 2006–2007 and 2012–2020.
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