Nara ¨C Tetsuya Yamagami, on trial over the fatal shooting of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022, has expressed regret over the crime he is accused of committing, saying he ¡°should not have lived this long.¡±
The trial entered a critical phase Thursday as 45-year-old Yamagami took the stand at the Nara District Court for the first time and described in his own words his troubled upbringing and the misery caused by his mother¡¯s devotion to the Unification Church, which he said changed his outlook on life forever.
A grudge Yamagami held against the church motivated him to assassinate Abe, according to prosecutors. The influential politician had contributed a friendly video message to a church-affiliated group in 2021.
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