The gunman accused of murdering Shinzo Abe, the former prime minister of Japan, was found guilty on Wednesday and sentenced to life in prison after the judge deemed the assassination to be “despicable and extremely malicious” in broad daylight.
In a nation with no history of gun violence, the shooting more than three years ago caused a reckoning and sparked investigation into purported connections between well-known conservative lawmakers and the Unification Church, a covert group.
Judge Shinichi Tanaka stated that 45-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami had been “determined” to shoot Abe as he imposed the sentence in a Nara court.
He said that his act was “despicable and extremely malicious” since he “shot him from behind and did so when (Abe) was least expecting it.”
After using a homemade gun to kill Japan’s longest-serving leader during a campaign speech in July 2022, Yamagami glanced down and showed little emotion during the sentencing for crimes including murder and violations of guns control laws.
Yamagami’s defense team informed a press conference that they had not yet made up their minds about whether to file an appeal, which is required by Japan’s judicial system and must be done within two weeks. Yamagami had admitted to murder at the trial’s opening in October.
In a statement to Japanese media, Abe’s widow Akie urged Yamagami to “face up to what he has done and pay for the crime of taking the life of my precious husband”.
