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26-03-2025
TOKYO: A court in Japan has ordered the disbandment of the controversial Unification Church, which came under scrutiny after the shock killing of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022.
The alleged assassin had confessed that he held a grievance against Abe because of the ex-leader’s ties with the church, he blamed the church for bankrupting his family.
Japan’s education and culture ministry sought the church’s dissolution and accused it of manipulating followers into making huge donations and other financial sacrifices but the church, more popularly known as the “Moonies”, argued that the donations were part of legitimate religious activities. It can appeal to overturn Tuesday’s ruling.
The order handed down by a Tokyo district court will strip the church of its tax-exempt status and require it to liquidate its assets, but it will still be allowed to operate in Japan.
During their investigation, authorities found that the church coerced followers into buying expensive items by exploiting fears about their spiritual well-being.
They interviewed nearly 200 people who said they were victimized by the church.
The Unification Church, which was started in South Korea, has established a presence in Japan since the 1960s. The name “Moonies” was derived from the name of its founder, Sun Myung Moon.
It has drawn controversy even before Abe’s assassination for teaching that marriage is central to spiritual salvation. It is known for holding mass wedding ceremonies involving thousands of couples.
Since 2023, some 200 former believers who said they were forced to donate to the group have demanded compensations amounting to 5.7 billion yen ($38.5m) in total, according their lawyers.
Investigations following Abe’s assassination revealed close ties between the secretive sect and many conservative ruling-party lawmakers, leading to the resignation of four ministers.
An internal investigation by former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s Liberal Democratic Party found that 179 of its 379 lawmakers had interacted with the Unification Church.
The relationships ranged from attending church events to accepting donations and receiving election support.
The revelations about the extent and level of involvement of the controversial church and the LDP shocked the nation.
Earlier the Japanese government has asked a court to order the dissolution of a church that was investigated after the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, local media reports.
Abe’s shock killing last July put the spotlight on the Unification Church, more popularly known as “Moonies”.
His assailant, Tetsuya Yamagami, said the church bankrupted his mother and blamed Abe for promoting it.
The church says it has been unfairly vilified over Abe’s assassination.
The investigation, which was ordered by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, ran for a year.
If dissolved, the Unification Church will lose its tax benefits but it will still be able to operate as an organization.
Yamagami claimed his mother was forced to donate to the church, where she was a member for three decades. Similar allegations have been the subject of lawsuits worth millions of dollars. (Int’l Monitoring Desk)
