Bomb squad dispatched as suspicious item sent to Japan court ahead of Abe shooter pretrial

TOKYO - A court in western Japan said it received a suspicious item on Monday morning that was delivered the same day the man indicted for murdering former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was scheduled to attend a pretrial.

According to Nara District Court officials, all staff and visitors were evacuated as the police and investigators conducted safety checks.

Local media reported that police dispatched an explosives handling unit to the court to inspect the unclaimed bag-like object, which measured about 33 cm in length, 28 cm in width and 26 cm in height.

Staff members stand outside the Nara District Court after temporarily evacuating from the building after a suspicious object was delivered during the pre-trial hearing for Tetsuya Yamagami, the man accused of killing Japan's former prime minister Shinzo Abe, in Nara on June 12, 2023. Photo by Jiji Press/AFP.

Reports said the suspicious cardboard package had set off a metal detector at the court where Tetsuya Yamagami, 42, who has been indicted for fatally shooting Abe during an election stump speech in July last year, was scheduled to attend a pretrial session in the afternoon.

The pretrial procedures for Yamagami, scheduled to take place at the court from 03:00 p.m. (local time) on Monday, were cancelled following the discovery of the suspicious package.

After evacuation, dozens of people including court officials, prosecutors, and lawyers, were seen gathered by the court's entrance gateway while police officers and investigators patrolled the area, with some entering the premises.

The area was cordoned off to the public as investigations continued. - XINHUA