Shinzo Abe shooter expected to plead guilty, trial begins next week

South China Morning PostCenterEN 1 min read 100% complete by KyodoOctober 25, 2025 at 11:08 AM

AI Summary

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Tetsuya Yamagami, a 45-year-old man, is expected to plead guilty to the murder of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The trial at the Nara District Court is scheduled to begin on Tuesday and conclude on December 18, with a ruling expected on January 21. Yamagami allegedly shot Abe during an election stump speech in western Japan's city of Nara on July 8, 2022. According to investigators, Yamagami held a grudge against the Unification Church due to financial ruin suffered by his family after making massive donations, estimated at around $650,000. Yamagami's defence team is likely to call for leniency, citing "religious abuse" in his upbringing. A total of 12 witnesses will testify during the trial.

Key Topics & Entities

Nobusuke Kishi 50% Japan ×250% Unification Church ×280% Shinzo Abe ×4100% Tetsuya Yamagami ×3100%

Keywords

shinzo abe 90% unification church 80% trial 70% grudge 60% leniency 50% nara district court 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.80

Source Transparency

Source

South China Morning Post

Political Lean

Center (0.10)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Japan

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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shinzo abe unification church trial grudge leniency nara district court

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