Shooter of Ex-Japan PM Shinzo Abe makes first apology

Key Highlights

• I have no excuse," Yamagami told the court on Thursday, according to local media. He reportedly told investigators he attacked Abe because he blamed the ex-prime minister for allegedly promoting the Unification Church, which Yamagami said had bankrupted his mother and the wider family. Yamagami's allegations prompted investigations into the Unification Church, which started in South Korea and is known for its mass weddings. In March this year, a Tokyo court ordered the church to disband - a ruling that the church said it would "fight to the end". The Unification Church has drawn controversy even before Abe's assassination, for teaching that marriage is central to spiritual salvation. Abe's grandfather Nobusuke Kishi, who was also Japan's prime minister, was known to have been close to the Unification Church because of its anti-communist nature.
• Abe himself had spoken at events related to the group. During a hearing last month, prosecutors read out a statement from Abe's widow in which she wrote: "The sorrow of losing a husband will not be relieved."Abe killing puts spotlight on Japan religious groupHow the assassination of Shinzo Abe unfoldedAsiaShinzo AbeJapan.