Catalonia condemns assassination of Shinzo Abe
Former Japanese PM dies after being shot while delivering campaign speech
Catalan politicians condemned the assassination of Japan's former PM, Shinzo Abe, who was shot and killed while delivering a speech at a campaign event in the Japanese city of Nara on Friday ahead of the country's election.
Catalan President Pere Aragonès tweeted that he was "shocked" by Abe's assassination. "My condolences to the family and the Japanese people in these difficult times," he wrote, adding that "violence is incompatible with democracy."
Colpit per l'assassinat de l'exprimer ministre japonès, Shinzo Abe.
— Pere Aragonès i Garcia 🎗 (@perearagones) July 8, 2022
El meu condol a la família i a tot el poble japonès en aquests moments tan durs. I la meva condemna més rotunda a l'atac que ha patit. La violència és incompatible amb la democràcia.
Foreign minister Victòria Alsina said she had reached out to the Japanese Consul in Barcelona and described Abe's murder as "an attack on democracy."
He traslladat al @Consul_JPN_BCN el meu condol per la mort de l'ex-primer ministre Shinzo Abe. Condemnem enèrgicament l'atac mortal que, en plena campanya electoral, és també un atac contra la democràcia. Tota la solidaritat del @govern amb el Japó, els familiars i amics d'Abe.
— Victòria Alsina Burgués (@_VictoriaAlsina) July 8, 2022
Meanwhile, vice president Jordi Puigneró said he was "dismayed by the deadly attack." "We strongly condemn the violence and send our condolences to Japanese society as a whole for this horrible crime."
Consternat per l’atemptat mortal contra l’exprimer ministre japonès #AbeShinzo.
— Jordi Pu1gnerO (@jordiPuignero) July 8, 2022
Condemnem rotundament la violència i enviem un sentit condol a tota la societat japonesa per aquest horrible crim. https://t.co/KE6fKKbXWa
Spanish government officials were also quick to react to the news. Hours after sending Abe his "best wishes," Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez offered his condolences to his family.
En nombre del Gobierno de España, nuestras condolencias a la familia de Shinzo Abe y al pueblo japonés con el que la sociedad española comparte unos lazos muy especiales.
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) July 8, 2022
Nuestra firme condena al terrible ataque que ha acabado con la vida del ex primer ministro de Japón.
Japanese police have arrested a 41-year-old suspect who is believed to have carried out the attack with a homemade gun.