The trial of a man accused of assassinating former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022 is expected to begin on Oct 28, sources at the Nara District Court said on Thursday.
Tetsuya Yamagami, 44, is accused of fatally shooting Abe with a homemade gun while he gave a speech at an election campaign rally in front of Kintetsu Yamato-Saidaiji Station in Nara City on July 8, 2022.
The trial is expected to be heard by lay judges, NHK reported. So far, six “pretrial arrangement procedures” have been conducted since October 2023, in which the court, prosecutors and defense team narrowed down the evidence and issues to be raised. A seventh procedure is scheduled to take place on May 27.
Yamagami has told police that he shot Abe out of a growing resentment toward the World Peace Unification Family (formerly the Unification Church), to which his mother had made large donations 20 years earlier. He said he targeted Abe because of his perceived links to the church.
Yamagami has also been indicted on charges of violating the Weapons Manufacturing Act, the Explosives Control Act, as well as the Swords and Firearms Control Act for manufacturing multiple guns and gunpowder without a license.
A psychiatric evaluation of Yamagami concluded last June that he was mentally fit to be held criminally responsible for his actions. The defense did not contest the results of the evaluation.
The trial is expected to last about three months with a verdict likely in January 2026.
