The killer of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has received a life sentence in prison for shooting the politician on July 8th, 2022.
Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, was given the sentence in Wednesday at a court in the Japanese city of Nara.
While Yamagami faces life in prison, Japanese law does allow the option of parole, however given the severity of the crime in a nation with little gun-related crime and the profile of the victim, experts speaking to media indicated that his release is unlikely.
While Abe championed various initiatives that were divisive, including implementing casino legislation to allow for integrated resorts to open in the nation, prosecutors argued that Yamagami wanted to assassinate the public figure to encourage criticism of the Unification Church, due to its alleged practice of pressuring believers into large donations. Yamagami’s mother was one such donor.
Abe was assassinated during a campaign speech for a Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) candidate, even though the LDP had cut ties with the Unification Church and stated it would expel members linked to the group.
Despite his murder, the former PM’s work to establish legislation that would allow the birth of a casino industry in Japan was successful, with the nation’s first IR – MGM Osaka – set to open in 2030.
