Suspect in explosives attack on Japan’s prime minister is indicted on attempted murder charge

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Prosecutors have indicted a man on attempted murder and other charges over an explosives attack on Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in April. Kishida was unhurt when a man threw a pipe bomb at him while he was campaigning for elections. Two people received minor injuries. A court said prosecutors submitted the indictment of 24-year-old Ryuji Kimura after deciding he is mentally fit for trial. The attack occurred about a year after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was fatally shot while campaigning. Gun and bomb violence in Japan is rare, and the attacks on Abe and Kishida shocked many in the country. They prompted greater police protection of dignitaries and a review of safety measures during election campaigns.