Japan: life sentence for man who assassinated former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

Tokyo (Japan), 21 January (LaPresse/AP) – The man who admitted to assassinating former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been sentenced to life imprisonment in Japan. The decision was made by the Nara District Court, which accepted the prosecution’s request. Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, had previously pleaded guilty to the murder of Abe, which took place on 8 July 2022 during an election rally in the western city of Nara. Abe, one of Japan’s most influential politicians, was serving as a member of parliament after leaving the post of prime minister when he was assassinated. The murder shocked the country, where there are strict controls on firearms.