Overview

• The Tokyo District Court has ordered the dissolution of the Unification Church in Japan, revoking its legal status and ending its tax-exempt privileges.
• The court's decision stems from a government request citing manipulative fundraising practices that caused significant harm to followers and their families.
• The Unification Church has announced plans to appeal the ruling, calling it unjust and a threat to religious freedom.
• The church's scrutiny intensified after the 2022 assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, whose killer cited the church's financial impact on his family as a motive.
• This marks the first time a religious group in Japan has lost its legal status under civil law, setting a precedent in regulating religious organizations.