Tokyo Court Orders Legal Dissolution of Unification Church

The ruling strips the group of its tax-exempt status but allows it to continue operations, following scrutiny tied to Shinzo Abe's 2022 assassination.

• The Tokyo District Court issued a legal dissolution order for the Unification Church, revoking its recognition as a religious organization.
• The Church will lose its tax-exempt status but can continue its activities under Japanese law.
• The decision follows a government investigation launched after Shinzo Abe's 2022 assassination, linked to grievances over the Church's financial practices.
• The Unification Church has historically relied on Japan as a major financial base, with members donating significant sums over decades.
• This marks only the third time Japan has legally dissolved a religious group, with the last case involving Aum Shinrikyo after the 1995 sarin gas attack.

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Courrier International Le Figaro Sud Ouest Ouest-France