Japan’s Abe Killer Challenges Life Sentence
Tetsuya Yamagami's defense attorneys finalized their decision to appeal just one day before Wednesday's filing deadline, the broadcaster reported, citing sources with direct knowledge of the case.
The Nara District Court sentenced Yamagami, 45, to life behind bars on Jan. 21 after convicting him of murder and related offenses. He fatally shot Abe with a homemade firearm in July 2022 as the former leader addressed supporters on a Nara street during a campaign event.
Yamagami confessed to the assassination during proceedings at the Nara District Court, explaining that he harbored deep resentment toward the Unification Church. His mother's substantial donations to the religious organization financially devastated his family, and he believed Abe and other Japanese politicians maintained intimate connections with the group.
Defense counsel had urged the court to impose a maximum 20-year prison term, contending Yamagami suffered as a victim of religious exploitation and that his "tragic" childhood drove him to murder Abe. The Nara District Court rejected this reasoning, determining his background and circumstances did not decisively influence the crime.
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