A Japanese court has ordered the disbandment of the controversial Unification Church over its connection to the death of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The shock killing of Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022 brought the church under scrutiny.

The Unification Church is the first religious group in Japan to face a revocation order under civil law. Two other groups have lost their status previously but due to criminal cases – Aum Shinrikyo, which carried out the Tokyo subway sarin attack, and Myokakuji, whose leaders were convicted of fraud.

The head of the Unification Church's Japan branch vowed to fight a court order revoking its legal protections, following a scandal over fundraising practices and links to the assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe.