The killer of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was sentenced to life in prison today.
Tetsua Yamagami admitted to killing Abe in July 2022, and the assassination was carried out during the election campaign, when Abe was giving a speech in the city of Nara.
Yamagami said he killed Abe after a video message the former leader sent to a group linked to the "Unification Church."
He was caught on the spot. He said he had originally planned to kill the leader of the "Unification Church" but changed his target to Abe due to the difficulty of getting close to the leader.
He added that his goal was to harm the church, which he hated, and to expose its ties to Abe, investigators said.
Prosecutors had sought a life sentence for Yamagami, citing the seriousness of the attack and the danger it posed at a crowded campaign venue.
Japanese law allows for the death penalty in murder cases, but prosecutors typically do not seek it unless at least two people have been killed.
Abe served as prime minister for two terms, the first time from 2006 to 2007, and the second time from 2012 to 2020.
Bonus video:
