The Osaka High Court on Thursday upheld a 10-year prison sentence for a man who threw an explosive at then-Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a campaign event in 2023.

The defense for Ryuji Kimura, 26, immediately appealed the decision to the Supreme Court.

Presiding Judge Kyoji Ishikawa rejected the defense¡¯s claim that Kimura had no intention to kill, saying that he was aware of the explosive¡¯s lethal capabilities because he had made it himself.

The high court backed the Wakayama District Court¡¯s ruling that recognized Kimura¡¯s willful negligence.

According to the ruling, Kimura threw an explosive at Kishida at a fishing port in the city of Wakayama on April 15, 2023, injuring two people. Kishida was visiting to campaign for a candidate in a House of Representatives by-election.