{"id":70015,"date":"2022-07-13T06:18:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-13T10:18:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/religious-hate-suspected-behind-shooting-former-japanese-pm\/"},"modified":"2022-07-13T06:18:00","modified_gmt":"2022-07-13T10:18:00","slug":"religious-hate-suspected-behind-shooting-former-japanese-pm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/religious-hate-suspected-behind-shooting-former-japanese-pm\/","title":{"rendered":"Religious hate suspected behind shooting former Japanese PM"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The chief of the Japan branch of the Unification Church denied Shinzo Abe was a member of the church\n<\/p>\n

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Tetsuya Yamagami (right), the man accused of murdering former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, is escorted by police while leaving the Nara Nishi police station to head to the prosecutor’s office in Nara on July 10. (Photo: Jiji Press\/AFP)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Published: July 13, 2022 10:18 AM GMT<\/p>\n

Updated: July 13, 2022 11:32 AM GMT<\/strong>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The man who fatally shot former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe suspected the slain politician was associated with\u00a0the Unification Church, says a report.<\/p>\n

Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, told the investigators that he learned about the former prime minister\u2019s association with the religious group from an online video posted by the group last September, Kyodo News agency reported July 13.<\/p>\n

The former member of the Maritime Self-Defense Force reportedly watched the video message in March or April this year.<\/p>\n

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However, the Japanese branch of the Family Federation of World Peace and Unification, popularly known as the Unification Church, has denied Abe was a member of the church.<\/p>\n

Yamagami shot the 67-year-old former premier twice from behind using a homemade gun during an election campaign at a train station in Nara city, the old capital of Japan, on July 8. Abe died shortly after he was rushed to a local hospital.<\/p>\n

Security officials nabbed Yamagami immediately from the scene and handed him to prosecutors. He has been charged with suspicion of murder.<\/p>\n

Police said Yamagami claimed he was not motivated by Abe\u2019s politics, but he targeted Abe though his initial plan was to make an attempt on the life of an executive of the religious group.<\/p>\n

The assailant has allegedly claimed it was Abe\u2019s grandfather, former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi, who invited the South Korea-based church to start operating in Japan.<\/p>\n

He said that his mother made a “huge donation” to the organization.<\/p>\n

The church\u2019s Japan branch president Tomihiro Tanaka confirmed that Yamagami\u2019s mother became a member around 1998 and the family suffered financial difficulties around 2002. He added that Yamagami was not a member of the church.<\/p>\n

Hundreds of people, many dressed in dark suits, holding flowers and flags draped in black ribbons, paid final respects to Abe during his funeral at Zojoji temple in the capital city of Tokyo.<\/p>\n

Abe\u2019s assassination sparked questions about security details during the campaign rally, prompting the authorities to conduct an \u201cevidence sweep\u201d on the scene on July 13, the report\u00a0said. Some 50 police officers were mobilized for the sweep who searched for pellets from Yamagami\u2019s gun.<\/p>\n

The shooting triggered criticism over existing security procedures for the protection of dignitaries in Japan.<\/p>\n

The chief of the National Police Agency, Itaru Nakamura, said on July 12 that the police had failed in their duty to protect Abe.<\/p>\n

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