Shinzo Abe, former prime minister of Japan, dies after being shot during speech

According to Reuters, the former prime minister suffered a cardiac arrest before being taken to Nara Medical University Hospital.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe died this Friday, 8, after being shot during a campaign event, in an “absolutely unforgivable” attack in the words of the current head of government of the JapanFumio Kishida.

The attack on the 67-year-old politician took place in Nara during a rally for Sunday’s Senate elections, despite the country’s strict gun laws.

According to Reuters, the former prime minister suffered a cardiac arrest before being taken to Nara Medical University Hospital.

Current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Abe was in very serious condition and condemned the attack. “It is an act of barbarism during the election campaign, which is the basis of democracy, and it is absolutely unforgivable. I condemn this act in the strongest terms,” added Kishida.

A 40-year-old man identified as Tetsuya Yamagami, suspected of the attack, was detained for attempted murder and had a rifle confiscated, NHK reported, citing police sources. The police found explosives in his house. The suspect reportedly told police that he was dissatisfied with Abe and wanted to kill him.

Images aired by NHK show Abe on stage when it is possible to hear a loud noise and see smoke. Shortly afterwards, a man was immobilized by security agents.

“He was giving a speech and a man came up from behind. The first shot sounded like a toy gun. He didn’t fall, but then there was a loud crash. The second shot was more visible, you could see the explosion and smoke,” said a young man accompanying the rally.

Abe fell down and was bleeding from the neck, a Liberal Democratic Party (PLD) source told Jiji news agency. According to the Japanese state agency, Abe was hit in the chest and neck.

Who was Shinzo Abe?

Abe was the longest-serving prime minister in Japan. Between 2006 and 2007 he was the youngest prime minister to take office since World War II and returned to power between 2012 and 2020.

The former premier stepped down in August 2020 for health reasons. He suffers from chronic ulcerative colitis. Abe remained politically relevant within the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) even after leaving power.

The former prime minister became known abroad for his economic strategy, called “abenomics”. The idea was to carry out a major reactivation of the budget, carry out structural reforms in the country and make monetary policy more flexible.

A hardline conservative, he promoted the revision of Japan’s pacifist Constitution to recognize the country’s military and bolstered defense spending.

He also played a key role in making the 2020 Olympics take place in Tokyo. Postponed due to the covid-19 pandemic, the games took place in 2021.

Abe comes from a family with a political background in Japan. Sei father was foreign minister and his grandfather Nobusuke Kishi was prime minister.

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The government announced the creation of a task force after the attack, which provoked a series of international reactions.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed sadness and concern over the attempted assassination of Abe, a Washington ally. “This is a very, very sad time,” Blinken told the press during the G20 meeting in Bali.

Top leaders of the European Union (EU) and NATO institutions said they were in “shock” over the attack. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the act “abject”.

China’s government also said it was in shock. “We follow the evolution of the situation and hope that (Abe) is out of danger and recovers as soon as possible,” said Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry.

Gen Nakatani, an adviser to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, said “terror and violence can never be tolerated,” according to Jiji.

Source: Exam