Suspicious item sent to Japan court ahead of Abe shooter pretrial

TOKYO: A court in Japan said it received a suspicious item on Monday 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, reports Xinhua news agency.

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.

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 3 p.m. 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.