Tetsuya Yamagami sentenced to life in prison for killing former PM Shinzo Abe in 2022 over personal grudge tied to Unification Church.

A Japanese court has sentenced Tetsuya Yamagami to life in prison for assassinating former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on July 8, 2022, during a campaign speech in Nara. The court found Yamagami guilty of premeditated murder, citing his use of a homemade firearm and a motive tied to a personal grievance against the Unification Church, which he blamed for his family's financial struggles. Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, was the first in modern history to be killed in office. The verdict, delivered in 2026, underscores the severity of the crime and its profound impact on Japan’s political and social landscape.