A man accused of killing Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pleaded guilty.
Three years after the assassination in broad daylight shocked the world the 45-year-old murderer admitted his crime in court as the trial opens, reported ABC.
Tetsuya Yamagami stood accused of murder and violations of arms control laws for allegedly using a handmade weapon to shoot dead Japan's longest-serving leader as he gave a speech in July 2022.
"Everything is true," he said in court.
However, his lawyer said Yamagami would contest certain charges, including violations of arms control laws for allegedly using a handmade weapon.
Yamagami appeared in a black top and grey trousers, with his long hair tied in a ponytail.
Yamagami allegedly shot Mr Abe in 2022 because of a grudge against the controversial Unification Church, which he believed had close ties to Mr Abe and other Japanese politicians.
He has told officials that massive donations his mother made to the church, which was founded in South Korea a year after the Korean War ended in 1953, caused his family's financial collapse.
Investigations after Abe's murder led to cascading revelations about close ties between the church and many conservative lawmakers in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, prompting four ministers to resign.
Earlier this year, the Tokyo District Court issued a dissolution order for the church's Japanese arm, saying it caused "unprecedented damage" to society.
