Psychiatric Evaluation for Abe Shooter Extended Again

From Jiji

December 19 2022

NARA – The psychiatric evaluation period for the suspect in the fatal shooting of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been extended again, until Jan. 23 next year, it was learned on Monday.

Nara Summary Court accepted the Nara District Public Prosecutors Office’s request, filed on the day, for the end date of the period to be pushed back from Jan. 10.

The psychiatric evaluation is to examine whether the suspect, Tetsuya Yamagami, 42, who has been sent to public prosecutors on suspicion of murder, is able to hold criminal responsibility.

The evaluation period was initially scheduled to end on Nov. 29. Although its extension until Feb. 6 was once approved, Yamagami’s lawyers made an objection, and the extension was cut to until Jan. 10.

The deadly shooting of Abe occurred on July 8, while he was giving a campaign speech near Kintetsu Railway Co.’s Yamato-Saidaiji Station in Nara, western Japan.