Japanese Lawyers Rap Unification Church For Lying About Extorted Cash

A group of lawyers in Japan revealed on July 12 that it is still receiving consultations regarding the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, commonly known as the Unification Church, extorting donations from its followers, Shota Harumashi reported for Mainichi Shimbun.

Photo Insert: Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, a suspect arrested in the July 8 assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and charged with murder.

The National Network of Lawyers Against Spiritual Sales, which is seeking restitution, emphasized that the Unification Church's "explanation that there is no coercion of donations is a lie."

According to the lawyers, there has been a spate of civil court judgments in recent years pointing out the illegality of the religious group's donations and requiring reimbursements to former believers.

Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, a suspect arrested in the July 8 assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and charged with murder, told investigators that his mother was a member of the Unification Church and his family had disintegrated due to bankruptcy caused by her large donations to the religious group.

Yamagami's mother's payments, according to Tomihiro Tanaka, president of the religious group's Japanese branch, were based on her own free will, and he added that the church had "had donation trouble in the past, but we have been in thorough compliance since 2009. Now we do not force people to donate money."

In response, lawyer Hiroshi Yamaguchi, who represents the lawyers' organization, stated during a July 12 press conference that the Unification Church "is still being pointed out by the judiciary for its illegal activities."

Yamaguchi cited a February 2020 ruling by the Tokyo District Court in a lawsuit filed by a former follower seeking the return of donations she made between 2012 and 2015, in which the religious group was ordered to refund approximately 4.7 million yen (about $34,200) on the grounds that "the demand for donations was made through an unfair method of stirring up anxiety and fear."

After the Supreme Court dismissed a final appeal, the verdict was finalized.

WEEKLY FEATURE : MVP Group Keeps Lights On During Pandemic