Court to Hand Sentence to PM Abe Shooter Wednesday 21st January

From Jiji

January 21 2026

NARA – A district court in western Japan is scheduled to hand down a sentence on Wednesday to the man accused of fatally shooting former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022. 
   A key issue is how Nara District Court will assess the influence on the defendant, Tetsuya Yamagami, of his mother’s involvement with the Unification Church, formally known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification.
   Yamagami, 45, reportedly targeted Abe because of the former prime minister’s ties with the controversial religious group, to which his mother made large donations, leading to his family’s collapse.
   Regarding Yamagami’s background, the defense claimed that he was a victim of “religious abuse.” Meanwhile, the prosecution argued that this should not significantly reduce his sentence.
   Ahead of Wednesday’s ruling, children of Unification Church believers voiced mixed feelings.