Tokyo [Japan]: A Japanese court on Tuesday sentenced Tetsuya Yamagami, the man who assassinated former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, to life imprisonment, according to a report by Al Jazeera.
Yamagami, 45, had admitted to fatally shooting Abe in July 2022 in a crime that stunned Japan and drew global condemnation. Prosecutors sought the maximum punishment, describing the killing as “unprecedented in our post-war history” and underlining the grave impact it had on Japanese society. The defence, however, had argued that the sentence should be limited to a maximum of 20 years in prison.
Shinzo Abe, 67, was shot from behind while delivering a campaign speech in the western city of Nara. He was attacked at close range just minutes after he began speaking. Abe was airlifted to hospital for emergency treatment but was declared dead after doctors failed to revive him despite extensive efforts, including massive blood transfusions.
In the aftermath of the assassination, the head of Nara prefectural police acknowledged serious lapses in security arrangements. Tomoaki Onizuka, chief of the local police, said it was “undeniable” that there were flaws in the protection provided to the former prime minister and promised a thorough investigation into what went wrong.
Japan, known for its strict gun control laws and low levels of violent crime, was left deeply shaken by the killing. Police arrested Yamagami at the scene and later revealed that he had used a crude, homemade firearm measuring about 40 centimetres in length. A search of his nearby apartment led to the seizure of similar weapons and his personal computer.
Investigators said Yamagami, a former member of Japan’s navy, remained calm during questioning and admitted to planning the attack. He told police that he targeted Abe due to his belief in rumours linking the former leader to a particular organisation, which authorities have not publicly identified.
The sentencing brings a measure of legal closure to one of the most traumatic episodes in Japan’s recent political history, while debates over security failures and their broader implications continue.
