Man accused of killing ex-Japan PM Abe to go on trial on Oct 28
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Seventeen more hearings are scheduled by year-end before a verdict on Jan 21, 2026.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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TOKYO - A man accused of fatally shooting former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is set to go on trial on Oct 28, three years after the assassination of Japan’s longest-serving premier stunned a nation where gun crime and political violence are rare.
The trial opens the same day as two of Mr Abe’s former allies, incumbent Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and visiting US President Donald Trump, hold a summit.
Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, was arrested at the scene of the shooting in July 2022 after allegedly firing at Mr Abe with a homemade gun while the former premier was giving a speech during an election campaign in the western Japanese city of Nara.
Yamagami blamed Mr Abe for promoting the Unification Church
The Unification Church was founded in South Korea in 1954. It is famous for its mass weddings and counts Japanese followers as a key source of income.
Having moved through pretrial conferences, Yamagami is set to admit to murder while disputing parts of the indictment related to violations of the Firearms and Swords Control Act and Ordnance Manufacturing Act, an official at the Nara District Court said.
The shooting was followed by revelations that more than a hundred lawmakers of Mr Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party had ties to the Unification Church, driving down public support for the ruling party, which is now led by Ms Takaichi
After Oct 28’s first court session, starting at 2pm local time (1pm Singapore time), 17 more hearings are scheduled by year-end before a verdict on Jan 21, 2026. REUTERS
