World

Japan: Ex-PM Shinzo Abe assassin suspect formally indicted

Formal charges have been made against the suspected killer of ex-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The suspect was declared fit for trial after a six-month psychiatric evaluation.

Japan: Ex-PM Shinzo Abe assassin suspect formally indicted
Japan: Ex-PM Shinzo Abe assassin suspect formally indicted 

Prosecutors in Japan have formally charged the 42-year-old suspect in the killing of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a Japanese court said on Friday.

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Following a six-month psychiatric evaluation, the suspect was indicted by the Nara District Public Prosecutors Office for both murder and violating gun laws.

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The man was arrested directly after the shooting on July 8. He told police he had assassinated the former prime minister for his links to the South Korea-based Unification Church.

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Abe's death triggered a public discussion about the church and its ties with Japan's dominant Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

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What do we know about Abe's assassination?

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Abe was shot with a homemade gun while holding a rally near a train station in the western Japanese city of Nara last July.

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The killing of the former leader sparked condolences from around the world. The incident also came as a shock to Japan where such acts of violence are rare, in part due to its strict gun laws.

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The suspect said he had targeted Abe after his mother was pressured to make donations of around 100 million yen ($774,700; €714,400) to the Unification Church — considered a cult in Japan — which left his family bankrupt.

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Thousands of people have signed a petition asking for prosecutors to show leniency on the suspect with many who have also suffered at the hands of the church expressing sympathy for his actions.

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The Unification Church and the LDP

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The Unification Church was founded in 1954 in South Korea but has many adherents in Japan who make up one of the church's largest sources of income.

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Abe's assassination has brought to light the LDP's longstanding relationship with the church, with the two sharing conservative and anti-communist ideals. The church was first courted by Abe's grandfather and former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi, who also played a prominent role in Imperial Japan's war effort before and during the Second World War.

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Many LDP lawmakers have connections with the church, but the party has denied any organizational link.

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Current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has seen his approval rating plummet following the incident and controversial state funeral for Abe.

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But he has also removed ministers from his cabinet who have links with the church.

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Japan has also launched an investigation into the church's activities with the option of revoking its legal status on the table.

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