Public Tokyo gathering seeks transparency in 2022 Abe murder legal process as criticism mounts over historic 3-year trial delay
Tokyo, 14th May 2025 – Published as an article in the Japanese newspaper Sekai Nippo. Republished with permission. Translated from Japanese. Original article.
“We Must Raise Our Voices to Uncover the Truth”
Rally for the Case around the Assassination of Former Prime Minister Abe
by the editorial department of Sekai Nippo
prepared by Knut Holdhus
A rally calling for a thorough investigation into the 2022 assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (安倍晋三) was held on 13th May in Tokyo, organized by the Committee for the Investigation of the Former Prime Minister’s Assassination.
Attorney Shinichi Tokunaga (徳永信一) gave a speech at the event, stating, “We must raise our voices to demand the truth behind the incident be revealed.”
About 200 people gathered, filling the venue’s capacity. Tokunaga commented on the current defense team of the accused, Tetsuya Yamagami (山上徹也), saying, “They seem to be avoiding a legal battle, acknowledging the defendant’s guilt, and focusing solely on seeking leniency by emphasizing his grudge against the Unification Church.”
He went on to assert, “We need to amplify public calls – through social media, petitions, and other means – urging the defense to aim for a trial that genuinely seeks to uncover the truth.”
Regarding the possibility of another perpetrator besides Yamagami, Tokunaga noted, “If there are doubts, the trial must address and answers those doubts.”
As a guest speaker, Setsu Kobayashi (小林節), constitutional scholar and professor emeritus at Keio University, commented on the rally, saying, “The truth must be brought to light, and those responsible must be held accountable. This is something that must never be abandoned.”
Nonfiction writer Masumi Fukuda (福田ますみ) questioned the nearly three-year delay in the start of the trial, remarking, “There has never been such a prolonged pre-trial arrangement procedure.”
Featured image above: Attorney Shinichi Tokunaga (徳永信一) giving a speech at the “National Rally to Seek the Truth Behind Former Prime Minister Abe’s Assassination” – on the afternoon of 13th May 2025 in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo. Photo: David Chan (デビット・チャン )