TOKYO: A pre-trial hearing for the man accused of killing Japan’s former prime minister Shinzo Abe was canceled Monday after a suspicious object was delivered to the court, local media said.
Nara District Court could not immediately confirm the reports by public broadcaster NHK and other outlets, which said the site was evacuated after what appeared to be an “unidentified bag” arrived at the court.
Tetsuya Yamagami had been due to appear on Monday afternoon for a pre-trial hearing over Abe’s broad-daylight assassination which shocked the world in July last year.
The 42-year-old faces charges of murder and violation of arms control laws, and could face the death penalty if convicted.
He reportedly targeted Abe over the former leader’s ties to the Unification Church, the global sect whose members are sometimes referred to as “Moonies.”
Yamagami is believed to have resented the church over large donations his mother made that bankrupted his family.
Abe, Japan’s best known politician and longest-serving prime minister, was shot with an apparently homemade gun while speaking at a campaign event on July 8.
The circumstances of the assassination have ignited scrutiny of what authorities admitted were security “shortcomings,” and led to the resignation of Japan’s police chief.
Yamagami, who underwent a psychiatric assessment which ended in January, spent three years in the navy following a childhood reportedly marred by his father’s suicide and his mother’s alleged neglect and devotion to church activities.
Details of his upbringing have stoked anger against the Unification Church and garnered Yamagami sympathy — with supporters showing support for him through donations and a petition calling for leniency.
The Unification Church is a global religious movement founded in Korea in the 1950s by self-styled messiah Sun Myung Moon.
In a letter published by Japanese media, Yamagami accused Abe of supporting the church and expressed resentment toward the group.
The church has confirmed his mother’s membership but refused to specify the amount of donations she made, which reports said may have totalled around 100 million yen ($700,000).
Less than a year after Abe’s death, in April, a man hurled an explosive device toward Prime Minister Fumio Kishida shortly before he was due to deliver a campaign speech in the city of Wakayama.
The leader escaped unharmed, but the fact that an assailant was able to throw the device at such close range so soon after the Abe murder prompted renewed criticism of security arrangements in Japan.
Hearing for Abe murder suspect canceled over suspicious object: Japan media
https://arab.news/prwch
Hearing for Abe murder suspect canceled over suspicious object: Japan media
- Tetsuya Yamagami had been due to appear on Monday for a pre-trial hearing over Abe’s assassination
UK Police arrest 86 people at prison protest for Palestine Action hunger striker
- Demonstration outside Wormwood Scrubs held in support of Umer Khalid
- Khalid 1 of 5 people charged in connection with break-in at RAF base last year
LONDON: A protest outside a prison in the UK in support of a man detained for supporting the banned group Palestine Action has led to the arrest of 86 people.
London’s Metropolitan Police said a group of demonstrators breached the grounds of Wormwood Scrubs prison in the capital, refused to leave when ordered to do so, and threatened officers. They were arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass.
The group, several of whom attempted to gain access to the prison itself, were protesting in support of Umer Khalid, who is currently on hunger strike at the facility.
Khalid is one of five people charged in relation to a break-in by Palestine Action members at an RAF base at Brize Norton last year, in which two military aircraft were damaged.
Khalid, who denies the charges, is one of several people who are on or who have taken part in hunger strikes in recent months, all of whom have been held on similar charges for over a year without their cases being brought to trial.
A spokesperson for the UK’s Ministry of Justice said: “The escalation of the protest at HMP Wormwood Scrubs is completely unacceptable. While we support the right to peacefully protest, reports of trespassing and threats being made to staff and police officers are deeply concerning.
“At no point was prison security compromised. However, where individuals’ actions cause risk or actual harm to hardworking staff, this will not be taken lightly and those responsible can expect to face consequences.
“Prisoners are being managed in line with longstanding policy. This includes regular checks by medical professionals, heart monitoring and blood tests, and support to help them eat and drink again. If deemed appropriate by healthcare teams, prisoners will be taken to hospital.”
