Suspect pleads guilty to murdering former Japanese PM Abe

Shinzo Abe, the man who is accused of killing him in 2022, has entered a murder plea.

Tetsuya Yamagami, age 45, gave his full consent to the prosecution’s opening statement on Tuesday, according to the Japanese broadcaster NHK.

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Yamagami allegedly shot Japan’s longest-serving leader with a handmade weapon, in addition to other crimes against the arms control laws.

According to the AFP news agency, the suspect claimed that “everything is true”.

On July 8, 2022, Abe was shot while giving a speech in Nara, a city in western Africa. At the scene, Yamagami was detained.

According to reports, the suspect’s anger over connections between Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Unification Church reportedly drove the killing.

Due to his mother’s donation of 100 million yen ($663, 216), Yamagami harbored resentment toward the South Korean religious organization. According to Japanese media reports, the gift severely damaged his family’s financial health.

The Unification Church, whose adherents are referred to disparagingly as “Moonies,” has since experienced increased pressure from authorities over allegations of bribery, which has long been the subject of controversy and criticism.

The Japanese community considers its main source of income to be.

Following the shooting, it became clear that more than 100 LDP members had connections to the Unification Church, lowering the ruling party’s support in the electorate.

17 additional hearings are scheduled for this year’s court session after Tuesday’s initial hearing, with the verdict set for January 21.

The trial was held in Tokyo on the same day that Donald Trump, the leader of the LDP, and former prime minister Sanae Takaichi, who is currently in Tokyo, met with two of Abe’s former allies.

Both during public events frequently mention Abe, who served as Japan’s prime minister for almost nine years.