Key takeaways:

• Ryuji Kimura was convicted for attacking former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida with a homemade pipe bomb.
• The Wakayama District Court sentenced him to 10 years for attempted murder, despite his claims of non-lethal intent.
• The incident raised serious concerns about political security in Japan following the assassination of Shinzo Abe.

A Japanese court has sentenced Ryuji Kimura, 25, to 10 years in prison for attempting to murder former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a campaign event in April 2023. Kimura threw a homemade pipe bomb at Kishida as he interacted with supporters in Wakayama, leaving two individuals injured while Kishida escaped unharmed. The Wakayama District Court's decision follows a prosecution that sought a 15-year sentence, arguing that Kimura knew his actions were dangerous and aimed to create mass anxiety about political safety in Japan.

During the trial, Kimura maintained his innocence concerning murder intentions, stating that he wanted to draw attention to Japan's electoral age regulation, which inhibited his candidacy efforts. As reported by BBC, his defense team claimed he did not expect the bomb to cause injury and argued for a three-year sentence instead.

The presiding judge noted that the attack posed a critical threat to democracy and public safety, especially coming less than a year after the assassination of Shinzo Abe during another campaign event, an act that has sharply increased security concerns for public figures in Japan. Prosecutors characterized Kimura's actions as a "malicious terror act" aimed at disrupting democracy, highlighting the serious implications of his crime. For further details, visit India Times, Channel News Asia, and SCMP.