ISTANBUL

A man accused of attempting to kill then-Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida with an improvised explosive device two years ago denied any intent to kill on Tuesday during the first court hearing of the case, Kyodo News reported.

Ryuji Kimura, 25, is alleged to have thrown a bomb at a crowd, including Kishida, during an election-related speech in Japan’s southern Wakayama Prefecture.

The improvised explosive device that Kimura threw exploded in 2023, injuring a police officer and a member of the public, although Kishida was unharmed, according to the indictment.

Kimura admitted to making and possessing explosives but argued that they were not intended to harm or kill anyone.

His defense team told the Wakayama District Court that he should be charged with injuring two people in the bomb attack, not attempting to murder the Japanese premier.

However, the prosecution argued that Kimura’s bombing could have resulted in fatalities and that he was aware of this when committing the act.

The bombing incident occurred less than a year after the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The court is expected to announce its decision on February 19, following three additional hearings.