A court in Tokyo on Tuesday ordered the Japanese branch of the Unification Church to disband, three years after it came under scrutiny following the assassination of the former prime minister, Shinzo Abe.

       The shooting of Mr. Abe by a man with a grudge against the church led to revelations that the fringe religious group had pushed members into financial hardship to fund its donations to conservative politicians.

       In a ruling that was widely expected but unusual in its severity, the court agreed to a government request to strip the church of its legal status to exist, saying that it had violated laws governing religious activities. The education ministry, which has oversight of religious groups, requested in October 2023 that the church be disbanded after determining that it forced members to make donations and buy religious goods.

       The ministry collected the testimonies of some 1,550 former members who claimed to have suffered financial damages of 20.4 billion yen, or $140 million. The church, known for its mass weddings, was founded in South Korea by the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, who died in 2012. It has branches in scores of countries.

       Advertisement

       SKIP ADVERTISEMENT

       Attention has fallen on the church since the killing of Mr. Abe, who was gunned down on a street during a campaign speech. The suspect claimed that the church had bankrupted his family by forcing his mother, a member, to turn over her life savings.

       Tetsuya Yamagami, who was arrested at the scene, has admitted to the July 2022 shooting, though he is still awaiting trial. After the assassination, it emerged that Mr. Yamagami blamed Mr. Abe, whom he perceived as supporting the church.

       Subscribe to The Times to read as many articles as you like.