Japan’s public prosecutor’s office on Wednesday formally charged a 24-year-old man with attempted murder and other crimes in an alleged bomb attack on Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in April.
Kishida was on an election campaign in the port of Wakayama, in western Japan, when the suspect allegedly threw an improvised bomb. The prime minister was unharmed, but two other people suffered minor injuries.
According to Japanese public television NHK, 24-year-old Ryuji Kimura remained in silence since he was arrested at the explosion site. However, after a three-month psychiatric evaluation, prosecutors determined that the suspect was mentally fit to stand trial and that the bomb used in the attack was potentially lethal, Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported.
Court records show that Kimura had filed a complaint last year against the government, contesting the obligation to be at least 30 years old and at least three million yen (20,000 euros) to run for elections to the Japanese parliament.
Japan tightened security measures after the July assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was shot dead while speaking at an election campaign event. Gun and bomb violence in Japan is extremely rare and the attacks on Abe and Kishida shocked the country.
Source: https://observador.pt/2023/09/06/homem-acusado-de-tentativa-de-homicidio-do-primeiro-ministro-do-japao/
