WORLD NEWS | JAPAN: Ryuji Kimura, suspect in PM Kishida attack, sues country over election eligibility

Tokyo [Japan]Ryuji Kimura, 24, who was detained on suspicion of throwing an explosive device at Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, had previously sued the government over election eligibility, NBC reported on April 19.

The attack on Saturday occurred at a fishing port in the western city of Wakayama as the prime minister was preparing to speak in support of a by-election candidate.

Read also | Beijing hospital fire: Death toll in Changfeng hospital fire rises to 29, 12 detained.

However, police are investigating whether the question is linked to the suspect’s motives. Ryuji Kimura, 24, was arrested at the scene.

The suspect claims the government barred him from running for a seat in the upper house in a damages lawsuit filed in Kobe District Court last year. He decided to represent himself in court without consulting a lawyer, NHK World reported.

Read also | Shocking Henry Jackson Society report: Muslim student tells Hindu classmate in UK to convert to Islam or face hell

He specifically questioned the age limit and the requirement to post a bond after court records showed the election law was unconstitutional, NHK reported.

He is demanding 100,000 yen, or more than $700, from the government for the psychological harm he claims he suffered as a result of being declared ineligible for election in July by authorities, NHK World reported, citing police sources.

According to police, the Kishida cabinet decided to hold a state funeral for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, adding to Kimura’s anxiety.

Investigators said on Sunday that the item used in Saturday’s attack on Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida may have been a homemade pipe bomb, according to police, The Japan Times reported. The news was revealed early Sunday morning when police raided the residence of 24-year-old suspect Ryuji Kimura in Kawanishi City, Hyogo Prefecture.

Wires found at the ends of one of the cylinders resembled steel pipes, leading investigators to believe the objects could be pipe bombs, a device that seals gunpowder inside the cylinder and detonates by igniting a fuse, the Japan Times wrote, citing NHK .

Police are still investigating whether the devices were designed to be lethal.

Investigative sources said the suspect, Kimura, was also carrying a knife in his backpack at the scene.

Commenting to reporters on Sunday, Kishida called the violence during the election “inexcusable.”

He added that security details would be verified as the investigation progressed and the country must ensure security during the upcoming G7 summit and other events gathering dignitaries around the world.

“Together with the Japanese people, we will do our best to ensure safety during the diplomatic schedule,” Kishida said.

Kishida was not injured in the attack, and his security personnel took him to safety shortly before the explosions sounded and Kimura was overpowered. A policeman suffered minor injuries to his left arm, The Japan Times reported. (Arnie)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)