Man who attacked ex-Japan PM Fumio Kishida sentenced to 10 years in prison

Ryuji Kimura on Wednesday was convicted for throwing a homemade pipe bomb at former Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida during a 2023 campaign event and got sentenced to 10 years in prison, court officials said.

A Japenese court found him guilty of attempted murder in the April 15, 2023 attack on Kishida, an incident which took place at a small fishing port in the city of Wakayama, as well as four other crimes which include violations of laws on explosives and other weapons.

Questions were raised on Kimura’s intention to commit murder, with the Wakayama District Court ruling that the 25-year-old was aware of the fatal potential his attack held, a Kyodo news agency report was cited by AP.

The ruling further stated that the attack during an election campaign event posed a serious challenge to democracy and was dangerous for many people.

However, at the beginning of the trial in early February, Kimura pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and told the court that he did not intend to kill Kishida. The intention behind his attack was his dissatisfaction with Japanese electoral system, Kimura said, adding that he only wanted to grab the public’s attention by targeting a famous political figure.

During the 2023 attack, though the then-prime minister remained unhurt, two other people at the event suffered minor injuries. Police had arrested Kimura at the spot itself.

The attack gained significance after former prime minister Shinzo Abe’s assassination the year before. Abe was shot dead during a campaign speech in the western city of Nara.

Additionally, prosecutors also said that the 25-year-old Kimura had murder intentions, citing that the bomb he threw at Kishida was potentially lethal. They demanded a 15-year prison term for Kimura.