Japan’s government will ask court to revoke legal status of Unification Church

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s government says it will ask a court to revoke the legal status of the Unification Church after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s assassination raised questions about the group’s fundraising and recruitment tactics. Education Minister Masahito Moriyama said the ministry proposed seeking the revocation after interviewing 170 people allegedly harmed by the fundraising tactics and other problems. The church failed to respond to dozens of questions during the hearings, he said. If its legal status is stripped, the church would lose its tax exemption privilege as a religious organization but can still operate. Cozy ties between the church and Japan’s governing Liberal Democratic Party have triggered public outrage.