Tokyo
CNN
—
Japanese prosecutors said Friday they had indicted a man in the murder of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe last year.
The Nara Prefectural Public Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement that it had indicted Tetsuya Yamagami on charges of murder and firearms after Prime Minister Abe was shot dead on July 8 during an election speech on the streets of the city.
The Nara District Court confirmed to CNN that it had received the indictment.
Since being arrested last year, Yamagami has undergone a psychiatric evaluation in Nara to determine if he is mentally fit to stand trial, public broadcaster NHK reported. An evaluation of his detention period was completed on Tuesday, NHK added.
Yamagami was detained at the scene and admitted to shooting Prime Minister Abe, Nara West Police said.
A doctor said the bullet that killed the former prime minister was “deep enough to reach his heart” and caused him to bleed to death.
Former Liberal Democratic Party leader and Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, Abe, 67, served as prime minister from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020 before stepping down for health reasons. rice field.
The assassination in broad daylight shocked the world, and it shocked Japan as well. World leaders offered their condolences and thousands of mourners took to the streets of Tokyo to mourn. An elaborate and controversial state funeral was held for Abe in September.
NHK reported at the time that the suspect targeted the former prime minister. He believed that Abe’s grandfather (another former leader) helped expand a religious group he held a grudge against.
CNN was unable to independently confirm which group Yamagami was referring to, but Japanese Prime Minister Kishida mentioned Abe’s ties to the Unification Church during a Diet session last September, “There is a limit to understanding” Abe’s ties to the Unification Church, he said. group after his death.
In October, Kishida ordered an investigation into the church amid a growing scandal linking the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to a controversial religious group that has seen many ministers resign.
Originally known as the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity, the church was founded in South Korea in 1954.
