According to Japanese media reports, the Fumio Kishida administration may refuse to allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the funeral of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Asian country has barred Putin from entering the country. As a result, if the Russian president decides to attend the funeral, he will be turned away.
Following a family funeral for Abe in the aftermath of his assassination, the government decided to hold a formal state funeral for the public and other dignitaries on September 27. The event is scheduled to take place at Nippon Budokan in central Tokyo. Furthermore, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is expected to extend the invitation to all major political leaders across the globe.
Japan has sided with Ukraine since the conflict between Russia and Ukraine erupted. Until now, Tokyo has imposed a number of sanctions on Moscow while also providing non-lethal military equipment to Zelensky’s forces. While Japan plans to close its borders to Putin, citizens are dissatisfied with the government’s decision to spend taxpayer money on a funeral when the family has already performed one.
According to WION, 50 people filed an injunction in a Tokyo court to prevent the event from using public funds. According to a recent public opinion poll conducted by public broadcaster NHK, only 49% of people supported the idea of a state funeral.
Shinzo Abe was the longest-serving PM of Japan. He had stepped down from his position after developing some health complications. He was assassinated earlier this month while giving a speech in western Japan’s Nara prefecture. Tetsuya Yamagami, the assassinator, was captured on the spot and is currently enduring an investigation, with Japanese authorities expected to conduct a mental health evaluation.
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