Yamagami admitted to the crime during the trial, and while he expressed remorse, his defense raised complex issues regarding his troubled upbringing and resentment toward the Unification Church, which his mother was deeply involved in.
Yamagami's defense team argued that he was a victim of religious abuse, claiming that his mother's devotion to the church financially ruined the family.
They presented evidence that the family lost 100 million yen ($633,000) to the church, leaving Yamagami bitter toward Abe, whose connections to the church were revealed during the investigation.
Yamagami believed that Abe's ties to the controversial group indirectly caused his family's downfall, fueling his desire for revenge.
However, the prosecution countered that Yamagami's act was cold-blooded and malicious, with Judge Shinichi Tanaka describing his actions as 'despicable and extremely malicious' because Yamagami shot Abe from behind during an unguarded moment.
Yamagami, who had assembled a homemade gun from metal pipes and duct tape, shot Abe twice, killing him instantly. His actions triggered a national investigation into the Unification Church, which had been criticized for its financial exploitation of followers and its ties to Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
The case also led to the resignation of several ministers whose connections to the church were exposed. Despite his defense team's plea for a lighter sentence, arguing that Yamagami's violent act was an emotional response to his family's suffering, many felt that the crime could not be justified.
In a tearful testimony, Akie Abe, the widow of the former Prime Minister, spoke of the profound sorrow her husband's death caused.
'I just wanted him to stay alive,' she said. The Unification Church, a South Korean-founded organization, has faced scrutiny for its aggressive financial demands and its controversial mass weddings.
Last year, a Tokyo court revoked the church's religious corporation status due to its coercive donation practices.
Rania Umutoni
Source : https://en.igihe.com/justice/article/japan-s-ex-pm-shinzo-abe-killer-sentenced-to-life-in-prison
