Japanese Court Sentences Shinzo Abe's Assassin to Life Imprisonment

A Japanese court sentenced Tetsuya Yamagami to life imprisonment for assassinating former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in July 2022 during an election campaign in Nara. Yamagami admitted targeting Abe due to his ties with the Unification Church, a controversial religious group linked to financial hardship in Yamagami's family. The assassination exposed close connections between the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the church, prompting political fallout and security reforms. Prosecutors sought life imprisonment, while defense lawyers requested leniency citing Yamagami's difficult upbringing.