The Japanese prosecution has requested a life sentence for Shoko Asahara
According to Japan's NHK, the fifteenth court session of the case involving the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was held on the afternoon of December 18 in Nara District Court. The prosecution requested that the defendant, Shoko Asahara, be sentenced to life imprisonment. The court will announce its verdict on January 21 next year.
The defendant, Shoko Asahara, is accused of using a homemade gun to shoot then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was giving a speech, in Nara City in July 2022, resulting in his death. In previous court sessions, Shoko Asahara stated that his motive stemmed from "resentment towards the World Peace Union (formerly 'Unification Church')", and the impact of his mother's substantial donations to the Unification Church became a major point of contention.
There are differences between the prosecution and the defense regarding the extent to which the defendant's family background and the circumstances leading to the incident should be considered in sentencing.
The prosecution stated that "the killing of a former prime minister in broad daylight in front of many people is a significant case without precedent in post-war Japanese history, causing great social impact." The prosecution argued that "many people have had unfortunate backgrounds but have not committed crimes and have lived strong lives," suggesting this is not a significant factor. The prosecution believes that the danger of using a homemade shotgun among a large audience and the severity of the result of the former prime minister being killed during an election period should be taken into account.
On the other hand, the defense argued that "the defendant's environment during growth was equivalent to abuse" and that "the motive and the circumstances leading to the shooting should be fully considered when determining the severity of the punishment."
In addition, there has been controversy over whether the homemade gun used by Shoko Asahara violates the Japanese "Firearms and Swords Control Law" regarding the "offense of firing a weapon."
The defendant is charged with violating the "offense of firing a weapon" under the "Firearms and Swords Control Law," but the law at that time limited the scope to four types of weapons, including "revolvers." Based on the appraisal results, the prosecution believes that the homemade gun has sufficient killing power and therefore argues that the homemade gun falls under the category of "revolvers" as defined by the "Firearms and Swords Control Law." However, the defense claims that this is an item not envisioned by the law, and thus does not constitute the "offense of firing a weapon" that can carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1851828675430472/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.