Man who killed ex-Japan PM apologises to his family

The accused assassin of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has apologized for the first time to the former leader’s family.

tetsuya yamagami, Who had earlier pleaded guilty to the murderHe told the court on Thursday that he felt “deeply sorry” for Abe’s widow, Akie.

Yamagami used a homemade gun to shoot Abe during a political campaign in the western city of Nara on July 8, 2022. He died in hospital on the same day.

Abby’s death has sent shockwaves around the world. He was known for his hard-line foreign policy and distinctive economic strategy that became popularly known as “Abenomics.”

“I caused it [the family] “Three and a half years of suffering… I have no excuse,” local media quoted Yamagami as telling the court on Thursday.

He reportedly told investigators that he attacked Abe because he blamed the former prime minister for allegedly promoting the Unification Church, which Yamagami said bankrupted his mother and the family in general.

Yamagami’s allegations led to investigations into the Unification Church, which started in South Korea and is known for its mass weddings.

In March this year, the Tokyo District Court He ordered the church to be dissolved – Ruling The church said it would “fight to the end.”

The Unification Church had attracted controversy even before Abe’s assassination, because of its teaching that marriage was central to spiritual salvation.

It is known that Abe’s grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi, who was also Prime Minister of Japan, was close to the Unification Church due to its anti-communist nature. Abe himself has spoken at events related to the group.

During a hearing last month, prosecutors read a statement from Abe’s widow in which she wrote: “The grief of the loss of a husband will not subside.”