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WORLD NEWS Monday 17 april 2023

Lack of security for Japanese prime minister surprised many

By MARI YAMAGUCHI at Saturday’s event were
Associated Press residents and supporters
WAKAYAMA, Japan (AP) — of the local candidate. He
The fishermen who tackled said the young man car-
the man suspected of the rying the silver-gray back-
second attack on a Japa- pack stood out.
nese politician in less than a “People here all dress like
year said Sunday that they me, and nobody carries
were surprised by the lack a backpack; it was only
of security for Prime Minister him,” Nishide said, wearing
Fumio Kishida. a sweatsuit and red rubber
Fisherman Tsutomu Konishi boots. “If I were in charge
was watching Kishida at of security, I would have
a campaign event at this asked for a bag check.”
fishing port when an object After the failed attack on A man believed to be a suspect, center on the ground, is caught
flew overhead and landed the prime minister, one of by police after he allegedly threw “the suspicious object,” as
near the prime minister, the fishermen grabbed the Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited Saikazaki port
Konishi said. A security of- suspect’s neck from be- for an election campaign event in Wakayama, western Japan
ficer covered the object hind, another pushed his Saturday, April 15, 2023.
with a bulletproof brief- head down, and Konishi Associated Press
case, said Konishi, 41. The latched onto his leg. They cause of the former prime tacks.
fishermen swarmed the at- were holding the man as minister’s apparent links Groups of several officers
tacker. police officers pulled him to to a religious group that have guarded serving
“I never thought a crime the ground. Yamagami hated. In state- prime ministers. Fewer offi-
like this would happen in The chaotic scene was ments and in social media cers have been watching
my hometown, which is a reminiscent of the assassi- postings attributed to him, Cabinet ministers and for-
rather small fishing area,” nation nine months ago of Yamagami said his mother mer leaders.
Konishi, 41, said Sunday as former Prime Minister Shinzo had made donations to Compared with the U.S.
he sipped a can of coffee Abe, which also came dur- the Unification Church that elections, audience at po-
at the port of Saikazaki. “I’m ing a campaign tour. Police bankrupted his family and litical campaigns in Japan
still shocked and stunned.” tightened their protective ruined his life. are often allowed to be
The prime minister was un- measures after an investi- Violent crimes are rare in quite close to dignitaries.
hurt but like many others in gation found holes in Abe’s Japan, and with its strict At the campaign event for
Japan Konishi was mulling security. Abe was killed gun control laws, the coun- Kishida the front-row audi-
Sunday what the country with a homemade gun dur- try has only a handful of ence was within touching
should do to better protect ing a campaign speech. gun-related crimes annu- distance.
public figures. Suspect Tetsuya Yamaga- ally. Most of the cases are Only one person, a police
“At a time when Japan’s mi has been charged with gang-related, though in re- official, was hurt, his arm
serving prime minister was murder and several other cent years there has been cut by fragments of the
visiting, perhaps we may crimes, including violating growing concern about device, which didn’t fully
have needed a metal de- gun-control laws. home-made guns and ex- explode. Police arrested
tector,” Konishi said. Yamagami told investiga- plosives. There also have 24-year-old Ryuji Nakamura
Masaki Nishide, a 55-year- tors that he killed Abe, one been some high-profile on suspicion of throwing an
old fisherman from Saikaza- of Japan’s most influential cases of random knifing explosive in a metal tube at
ki, said most of the people and divisive politicians, be- on subways and arson at- Kishida.q

Iran: Jail terms for those behind downing of Ukraine flight

shot down the Ukraine In- sentenced two personnel
ternational Airlines flight in allegedly involved in run-
January 2020. The missile ning the surface-to-air mis-
strike killed all 176 people sile system Tor M-1 to one
on board and came as year in prison each.
Tehran and Washington After a lengthy series of
teetered on the brink of hearings, the court sen-
war. tenced at least seven other
The Guards commander personnel and air defense
who officials purport or- officers to up to three years
dered the strike was sen- in prison. According to
tenced to 13 years in prison, Mizan, the verdicts are ap-
the official judiciary news pealable within 20 days.
outlet said. The report did not identify
Debris are seen at the scene where a Ukrainian plane crashed in Mizan said the command- any of the defendants by
Shahedshahr southwest of the capital Tehran, Iran, Jan. 8, 2020. er did not follow protocols name or further details.
Associated Press in the moments leading up The judiciary news agency
DUBAI, United Arab Emir- senger plane amid Iran-U.S. to the shooting down of also said Iran’s government
ates (AP) — An Iranian tensions several years ago, the plane. The commander plans to pay $150,000 for
court has sentenced an air a state news agency re- was ordered to pay fines to each victim to their fami-
defense commander al- ported Sunday. families of victims, the re- lies. It did not elaborate on
legedly responsible for the Iran’s paramilitary Revolu- port added. how this money will be de-
deadly downing of a pas- tionary Guard mistakenly Mizan said the court also livered to the families.q