Prosecutors in Japan have formally charged the man suspected of killing former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with murder.
The suspect, Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, was arrested just after he allegedly shot Abe with a homemade weapon while the former leader was delivering a campaign speech in July outside a train station in Nara, western Japan. .
Yamagami underwent a nearly six-month mental evaluation, which ended Tuesday. He was found fit to stand trial, according to prosecutors.
Yamagami was also accused of violating a gun control law, according to the Nara District Court.
THE MURDER OF SHINZO ABE IN JAPAN: WHO IS THE SUSPECT OF TETSUYA YAMAGAMI?
FILE – Tetsuya Yamagami, below, is detained near the scene of the shooting in Nara prefecture, western Japan, on July 8, 2022. Japanese prosecutors have indicted the suspect in the murder of former Prime Minister Shinzo of murder. Abe, Japanese public television NHK reported Friday, January 13, 2023.
(Katsuhiko Hirano/The Yomiuri Shbun via AP, File)
Police have said Yamagami told them he killed Abe, one of Japan’s most influential and divisive politicians, because of Abe’s apparent ties to a religious group he hated.
In his remarks and social media posts attributed to him, Yamagami said he developed a grudge because his mother had made massive donations to the Unification Church that bankrupted his family and ruined his life.
A lawyer for Yamagami told the Associated Press that it will likely be several months before his trial begins due to the complexity of the case.
Tetsuya Yamagami, the suspected assassin of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, enters a police station in Nara, western Japan, on January 10, 2023.
(Kyodo News via AP)
The police are also reportedly considering adding several charges, including weapons production, violation of the explosives control law, and causing damage to buildings.
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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks during a news conference at the Prime Minister’s official residence on August 28, 2020 in Tokyo, Japan.
(Franck Robichon – Pool/Getty Images)
Some Japanese have expressed sympathy for Yamagami, especially those who also suffered as children of followers of the South Korean-based Unification Church, which is known for pressuring its adherents to make large donations and is considered a cult in Japan. .
Thousands of people have signed a petition calling for clemency for Yamagami, and others have sent relief packages to relatives or the detention center.
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A police officer detains a man, believed to have shot former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, in Nara, western Japan, on July 8, 2022.
(The Asahi Shimbun/via REUTERS)
Abe’s murder shocked all of Japan and the world. The dramatic shooting was caught on video.
Abe was shot two minutes and 20 seconds into his speech, according to the Japanese news outlet NHK.
Video captured before the shooting reportedly shows Yamagami scanning his surroundings while standing near a trail behind Abe.
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Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center, falls to the ground in Nara, western Japan, Friday, July 8, 2022.
(Katsuhiko Hirano/The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP)
He then takes something out of a bag he was carrying and walks slowly towards Abe, moving several meters away from him, before raising his gun and opening fire, the station added.
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Abe was Japan’s longest-serving prime minister. He served from 2006 to 2007 and again in 2012 until he stepped down in 2020 after his chronic ulcerative colitis recurred, calling his decision at the time “heartbreaking.”
In this still from video, Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe delivers a campaign speech in Nara, western Japan, shortly before he was shot on Friday, July 8, 2022.
(Kyodo News via AP)
During his tenure, he focused on the economy, rebuilding Japan’s military, and being a bigger player in international affairs.
Associated Press, Fox News’ Brie Stimson and Greg Norman contributed to this report.
