Japan, Jan 21 : A Japanese court on Wednesday sentenced Tetsuya Yamagami, the man who fatally shot former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, to life in prison, Al Jazeera reported. Yamagami, 45, had admitted to the assassination in 2022, a crime that shocked Japan and the world.
Prosecutors had sought a life sentence, calling the murder “unprecedented in our post war history” and citing its “extremely serious consequences” for society. Yamagami’s lawyers had argued for a maximum sentence of 20 years.
The assassination exposed flaws in Abe’s security, with Tomoaki Onizuka, head of the Nara prefectural police, acknowledging the “undeniable” lapses and pledging a thorough investigation. Abe, 67, was shot from behind while delivering a campaign speech in Nara. He was airlifted to a hospital but could not be saved despite emergency treatment, including massive blood transfusions.
Yamagami, a former member of Japan’s navy, was arrested at the scene. Police said he used a homemade firearm approximately 40cm (15 inches) long and had other similar weapons and a personal computer in his apartment. During questioning, Yamagami calmly admitted to plotting Abe’s murder, claiming it was motivated by his belief in rumours linking the former leader to a certain organisation, which authorities did not identify.
Japan, known for strict gun laws and high public safety, was stunned by the attack on its popular former leader. The life sentence handed to Yamagami marks a closure in one of the most shocking criminal cases in recent Japanese history.