Japan: Strange object found at the trial of the suspect in the assassination of Mr. Abe

Police officers on duty at Nara prefectural court in western Japan after discovering a suspicious item brought there, June 12, 2023.

On June 12, a suspicious object was brought to the Nara prefectural court in western Japan, where the trial of the suspect accused of murdering former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was scheduled to take place, forcing the evacuation of staff and people present.

Kyodo news agency quoted police as saying that the metal detector in the courthouse went off when it scanned a cardboard box measuring 33cm x 28cm x 26cm. Police are trying to determine what was inside the box. As a precaution, dozens of people were evacuated. Several police officers were present inside and outside the courthouse.

The incident has forced the Nara Prefectural Court to cancel the hearing of Tetsuya Yamagami, 42, who is accused of murdering former Prime Minister Abe in July 2022. The hearing was originally scheduled for the afternoon of June 12 so that court officials, prosecutors and lawyers could present evidence and set a trial date.

Yamagami served in the Japan Self-Defense Forces from 2002 to 2005. He lived in an apartment in Nara City, but retired from service in May 2022 due to health reasons.

Former Prime Minister Abe, 67, was shot from behind at around 11:30 a.m. on July 8 (local time) while campaigning for a candidate of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in Nara city, western Japan.

He passed away at 5:03 p.m. the same day. After the attack, Japanese police arrested suspect Yamagami and seized a homemade gun at the scene./.

According to VNA

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