TOKYO: Unification Church followers in Japan and their families have faced harassment and death threats since the assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe, the organisation’s Japanese branch said on Wednesday (Aug 10).
The man accused of shooting Abe a month ago bore a grudge against a “certain group” he believed the politician was linked to, police said after his arrest.
Local media quickly identified the organisation as the South Korea-based Unification Church, saying that the suspect’s mother had donated 100 million yen (then around US$1 million) to the group before declaring bankruptcy.
“Unverified information that (the suspect’s) motive was linked to donations made by his mother, our member, as well as excessive media coverage of our organisation have prompted members to come forward with numerous reports of harm,” said Tomihiro Tanaka, head of the church in Japan.
Some followers faced pressure to resign from jobs, or have seen their children unable to attend school because of bullying, he told reporters in Tokyo.
“Our churches in Japan have been subject to death threats, receiving threatening phone calls saying ‘we will kill you’,” Tanaka said.