安倍あべ元もと首相しゅしょう銃撃じゅうげき事件じけんから3年ねん 現場げんば近ちかくの献花けんか台だいに多おおくの人ひと訪おとずれる

It has been three years as of the 8th since former Prime Minister Abe was shot while giving a speech in Nara City.

Many people have been visiting the flower stand set up near the site since this morning, offering flowers.

On July 8, 2022, former Prime Minister Abe was shot and killed while giving a campaign speech for the House of Councillors election in front of Yamato-Saidaiji Station in Nara City. Tetsuya Yamagami, an unemployed man 44, has been indicted on charges including murder and violation of the Firearms and Swords Control Law.

On the 8th, marking three years since the incident, a flower stand was set up near the site, and many people have been visiting since the morning to offer flowers.

At 11:31 a.m., when the incident occurred, a moment of silence was observed.

A man in his 60s from Nara City said, I think former Prime Minister Abe wanted to do a lot more work.

He said, Its truly unfortunate that they passed away.

According to investigators, during the investigation, the defendant Yamagami stated that he committed the incident after harboring resentment toward the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification formerly the Unification Church, to which his mother had made large donations.

According to the Nara District Court, in relation to the trial of the defendant Yamagami, a pretrial arrangement procedure to organize the points of contention and other matters has been held seven times so far, and it has been decided that the first trial will be held on October 28 this year.

According to people involved, the defendant Yamagamis side does not plan to contest the charge of murder, and it is expected that the main focus of the trial will be on the severity of the sentence, taking into account the defendants circumstances.

It is said that arrangements are being made to deliver the verdict around January next year.

The influence of the former Unification Church and severity of the sentence may be key points. In the trial of defendant Tetsuya Yamagami, which begins on October 28 this year, the focus will likely be on how the defendant himself speaks about the background of the incident and the influence of the former Unification Church, as well as how the court will judge the severity of the sentence, including whether a violation of the Firearms and Swords Control Act has been established.

It has been revealed that during the investigation, the defendant Yamagami stated that he committed the incident after harboring resentment toward the former Unification Church, to which his mother had made large donations. However, this is the first time he will speak publicly about it in court, and his statements are drawing attention.

The defendants legal team does not intend to contest the charge of murder, and is expected to argue that the influence of the religious group on the incident should be taken into account when determining the severity of the sentence, for example by having religious scholars meet with the defendant multiple times.

Additionally, in the previous pretrial proceedings, a point of contention has been whether the handmade gun used in the incident qualifies as a handgun, etc. under the Firearms and Swords Control Act, and whether the firing offense applies. These factors are also expected to affect the severity of the sentence.

After the shooting incident involving former Prime Minister Abe, there was a surge in voices reporting damage caused by the Unification Church’s high monetary donations and spiritual sales tactics, leading to a dissolution order for the former Unification Church.

Since November 2022, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology has exercised its right to ask questions seven times, requesting the organization to report on its management, assets, income and expenditures, as well as donations. In addition, it conducted hearings with people claiming to be victims, and in October two years ago, filed a request with the Tokyo District Court for a dissolution order.

The religious group argued that donations are part of religious activities and contested the case in full, but in March this year, the Tokyo District Court stated that a massive scale of damage has occurred, and the situation remains serious and cannot be ignored.

The court issued a decision ordering the dissolution of the religious group, stating that the group failed to take fundamental measures and continued to respond inadequately.

This was the third case in which a dissolution order was issued due to violation of laws and regulations, following Aum Shinrikyo, which was responsible for the Tokyo subway sarin attack and other incidents, and Myokakuji, whose top executive was convicted of fraud. It was the first time that a civil tort under the Civil Code served as the basis for such an order.

The religious group filed an immediate appeal with the Tokyo High Court against the decision, and hearings have been underway since May of this year.

If the high court issues a dissolution order again, the dissolution process will begin.

The incident prompted a fundamental review of the polices VIP protection operations, leading to a strengthened VIP protection system. Currently, during the ongoing House of Councillors election, security is being provided in accordance with this revised system.

Before the incident, the National Police Agency had left the planning of VIP protection to local police, and did not receive advance reports except for cases involving the Prime Minister or state guests.

For this reason, in response to the incident, the National Police Agency has revised the Protection Guidelines, which stipulate the basic principles of protection, for the first time in about 30 years, and has introduced a system whereby it can receive reports of protection and security plans from local police and point out any necessary corrections.

After the incident, the Nara Prefectural Police Headquarters also established a “Security and Protection Division” specializing in VIP protection to strengthen their system. For this House of Councillors election, they are thoroughly implementing measures such as asking campaign teams to maintain a certain distance between speakers and the audience.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi: It is important to strive to ensure both safety and election activities. At a press conference after the Cabinet meeting, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi said, I would like to once again express my respect and condolences for former Prime Minister Abe, who made significant contributions as a politician in various fields.

Free and fair elections are the foundation of democracy, and despicable acts of violence during elections are absolutely unacceptable.

It is important for the police and organizers to continue working together to ensure both safety and the continuation of election activities, while gaining the understanding and cooperation of the public, he said.