Japan launched a probe into the Unification Church on Tuesday that could threaten its legal status, after the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in July revealed its close ties to the ruling party and triggered a public backlash.
followers as a key source of income, the investigation could deliver a severe financial blow, affecting its tax exemptions and even its property holdings.
The government has given the Unification Church until Dec. 9 to answer an initial series of questions about its finances and organisation, Culture Minister Keiko Nagaoka told a news conference. A senior church official at its South Korean headquarters added: "Japan is a democratic country that guarantees the freedom of religion, so we are closely monitoring the situation."
She added, however, that losing its status as a religious organisation would not prevent the church from continuing its activities or its members from meeting.When Tetsuya Yamagami was arrested for the killing of former Prime Minister Abe in July, he blamed the religious organisation for impoverishing his family and said Abe, who had appeared at events sponsored by Unification Church-affiliated groups, had promoted it.
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