July 9, 2022

Former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo died on July 8 after being shot on a street in Nara City during his campaign speech in support of a Liberal Democratic Party candidate for the July 10 House of Councilors election. The suspect, Yamagami Tetsuya, was taken into police custody soon after he attacked Abe.

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo issued a comment, extending his condolences on the death of Abe. In his comment, Shii said that the latest outrage is totally unacceptable as it occurred in the midst of the election campaign period which is a very important time for democracy. He expressed his strong condemnation of the killing of Abe during his campaign speech by saying that the use of violence to suppress the freedom of speech is tantamount to an act of destroying democracy.

Shii said that the JCP will make all-out efforts to create a society in which the use of terrorism to suppress the freedom of speech is prohibited.