Trial of suspect in murder of ex-PM Abe set to begin in October
Tetsuya Yamagami, now in pretrial detention, is accused of shooting Abe in broad daylight in Nara while he was on the campaign trail in July 2022, an incident that shocked the world.
The trial was postponed in 2023 after a suspicious item was delivered to a court in Nara, which led to the evacuation of the building. The item was later found to have been not dangerous.
Yamagami, 44, is believed to have targeted Abe over his ties to the Unification Church, which he held a grudge against over large donations that his mother made to the group, which bankrupted his family.
The group is part of an international movement whose members are sometimes referred to as "Moonies."
Yamagami is charged with murder and violations of arms control laws.
Public broadcaster NHK and other local media outlets reported the date for Yamagami's first hearing as Oct. 28, citing the Nara District Court.
Yamagami does not intend to contest the murder charge leveled against him, the Asahi Shimbun reported.
The daily reported that an issue of contention would be whether his use of a handmade gun constituted the crime of discharging a firearm, and if his issues with the Unification Church meant that there were extenuating circumstances.
In March, the Tokyo District Court issued a dissolution order for the Japanese chapter of the Unification Church, saying it had caused "unprecedented damage" to society.
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