Shinzo Abe murder suspect to undergo mental examination

TOKYO: The man accused of assassinating Japan’s former prime minister Shinzo Abe is set to undergo an examination of his mental condition around the time of the incident, local media reported on Saturday.

Abe was gunned down on the campaign trail on July 8 in the western city of Nara, two days before the country’s upper house elections.

His accused killer Tetsuya Yamagami is in custody and reportedly targeted Abe because he believed the former leader was linked to the Unification Church.

On Friday, the Nara District Court approved a request by the local public prosecutors office for a psychiatric examination of 41-year-old Yamagami, the Asahi Shimbun and other local media reported, citing unnamed investigative sources. The examination is expected to wrap up in late November, the reports said.

Investigative questioning of the suspect will be halted during the mental examination.