A Japanese court on Wednesday sentenced Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, to life imprisonment for the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Judge Shinichi Tanaka described the daylight killing as “despicable and extremely malicious.”
The shooting, which took place in July 2022 during Abe’s campaign speech, shocked a nation with limited experience of gun violence. Yamagami, who used a handmade firearm, shot Abe from behind at a moment when the former prime minister was least expecting it.
Yamagami faced multiple charges, including murder and violations of Japan’s firearms control laws. During the sentencing, he showed little emotion. The defendant’s lawyers confirmed that they had not yet decided whether to appeal the conviction, a decision that under Japanese law must be made within two weeks.
Public interest in the trial remained high, with crowds waiting for tickets to enter the courtroom on Wednesday.
The Japanese version of life imprisonment leaves open the possibility of parole, although in reality, experts say many die while incarcerated.
