The assassin of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Tetsuya Yamagami has said through his lawyers that he is receiving letters of support, the Sankei newspaper reported.
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The publication learned from Yamagami’s lawyers that in the place of pre-trial detention he receives letters of support from those who, like himself, suffered from the “Unification Church”. Through lawyers, he said that he could not answer letters, but he hoped that the adopted law on the protection of victims of religious organizations and illegal donations would help those who suffered from the involvement of their parents in religious organizations.
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Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was mortally wounded while speaking at a campaign rally in Nara prefecture on July 8.
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His killer, 42-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami, shot Abe from the back with a makeshift weapon twice. At the second shot, the politician was wounded in the neck and chest, which became fatal. Shinzo Abe died from blood loss. Yamagami cited Abe’s alleged connection with the Unification Church as the motive for the crime. Yamagami’s mother donated 100 million yen (about $740,000, about $1 million at the time) to the organization, which led to the bankruptcy and destruction of the family, depriving the children of their livelihood.
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The funeral and cremation took place on July 12, and Abe’s state funeral was held on September 27. 26 thousand people came to say goodbye to him.
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Abe’s involvement in the Unification Church has not been proven to date, but his murder was the reason for investigating politicians’ links with this organization. As a result, it turned out that out of 379 MPs from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, 179, including ministers, were associated with the Unification Church.
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The motives for Abe’s murder became the reason for the adoption of a law protecting the children and families of adherents of religious organizations.
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At the beginning of the year, a psychiatric examination of Yamagami was completed, he was charged under several articles, including the article “murder”. His fate will be decided by a jury.
