Overview
- Judge Shinichi Tanaka of the Nara District Court imposed a life sentence on January 21, calling the attack odious and extremely malicious.
- Defense attorneys said the court rejected their arguments and they will decide on an appeal within the two-week window.
- Yamagami, 45, admitted to fatally shooting Abe with a homemade firearm at a July 8, 2022 campaign event in Nara after testing weapons he built from online instructions.
- Prosecutors said he targeted Abe to draw public attention to the Unification Church, citing large donations by his mother that he said devastated the family.
- The case intensified scrutiny of political links to the church, led to a 2025 court-ordered dissolution of its Japanese branch, exposed security lapses at the event, and preceded 2024 curbs on sharing gun-making tutorials online.