Here’s a look at the life of Ehud Olmert, former prime minister of Israel. Birth date: September 30, 1945 Birth place: Binyamina, British Mandate Palestine (now Israel) Birth name: Ehud Olmert Father:
Patrice Evra: Former France star opens up about sexual abuse
Former Manchester United and France star Patrice Evra says he wants to use his platform to tackle violence against children after detailing the sexual abuse he says he received as a teenager.
Don't Miss
Tokyo
CNN
—
Japanese prosecutors on Friday said they have indicted a man suspected of murdering former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe last year in a fatal shooting.
Nara prosecutors’ office said in a statement it had indicted Tetsuya Yamagami on murder and firearms charges after Abe was shot dead on July 8 while giving a campaign speech on a street in the city.
The Nara District Court confirmed to CNN it has received the indictment.
Yamagami has been undergoing psychiatric evaluation in Nara since his arrest last year to determine whether he is mentally fit to stand trial, public broadcaster NHK reported. His detention period evaluation expired on Tuesday, NHK added.
Yamagami was detained at the scene and admitted to shooting Abe, according to Nara Nishi police.
Doctors said the bullet that killed the former prime minister was “deep enough to reach his heart” and that he died from excessive bleeding.
Abe, 67, the former Liberal Democratic Party leader and Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, held office from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020, before resigning due to health reasons.
His assassination in broad daylight shocked the world and sent shock waves through Japan. World leaders offered their condolences while thousands of mourners gathered in the streets of Tokyo to pay tribute. An elaborate and controversial state funeral was held for Abe in September.
NHK reported at the time that the suspect had targeted the former prime minister because he believed Abe’s grandfather – another former leader of the country – had helped the expansion of a religious group he held a grudge against.
CNN has not been able to independently confirm what group Yamagami was referring to, however, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida referenced Abe’s connections to the Unification Church during a parliamentary session last September, saying there were “limits to understanding” the former prime minister’s ties to the group following his death.
In October, Kishida ordered an investigation into the church amid a growing scandal tying his ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to the controversial religious group that has seen a number of ministers resign.
The church, originally known as the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity, was founded in South Korea in 1954. It had a global reach by the 1980s and remains prominent in parts of Asia today.
Don't Miss
Here’s a look at the life of Ehud Olmert, former prime minister of Israel.
Birth date: September 30, 1945
Birth place: Binyamina, British Mandate Palestine (now Israel)
Birth name: Ehud Olmert
Father: Mordechai Olmert, member of the Knesset
Mother: Bella Olmert
Marriage: Aliza Olmert, artist and playwright
Children: two sons: Ariel and Shaul, and three daughters: Dana, Michal and Shuli
Education: Hebrew University of Jerusalem, B.A., 1968 (psychology and philosophy), Hebrew University of Jerusalem, L.L.B., 1973 (law)
Military service: Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Combat Infantry Unit Officer
Religion: Jewish
Olmert grew up in Nahalat Jabotinsky, a village that was later incorporated into Binyamina.
Elected mayor of Jerusalem in 1993; Olmert defeated Teddy Kollek with 59% of the vote. Kollek had been mayor since 1965.
He was successfully treated for prostate cancer in 2007.
1971 – Completes military service in the IDF as a military correspondent for the journal “Bamachane.”
1973 – Becomes the youngest person ever elected to the Knesset.
1975-1978 – Practices law in a private firm.
1988-1990 – Olmert is appointed Minister without Portfolio, responsible for minority affairs, by Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir.
1990-1992 – Minister of Health.
1993-2003 – Mayor of Jerusalem.
1998 – Resigns from the Knesset, in keeping with an amendment to the Basic Laws of Israel that forbids Knesset members from holding other public offices.
February 2003 – Is re-elected to the Knesset and named Vice Prime Minister. Olmert is also named Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor.
August 9, 2003-January 10, 2005 – Minister of Communication.
August 9-November 7, 2005 – Acting Minister of Finance, replacing Benjamin Netanyahu.
November 7, 2005 – Olmert is appointed Minister of Finance.
November 2005 – Leaves the Likud party and joins Ariel Sharon to form the new Kadima Party.
January 5, 2006 – Is named Acting Prime Minister after Sharon suffers a stroke.
March 28, 2006 – The Kadima party wins the largest number of parliamentary seats, ensuring that Olmert will be the next Prime Minister.
May 4, 2006 – Is sworn in as the 12th Prime Minister of Israel.
May 26, 2006 – Addresses a joint meeting of the US Congress.
May 2008 – Israeli newspapers report that investigators have launched a probe into whether Olmert received money illegally while in office.
July 30, 2008 – Olmert announces he will resign as prime minister when Kadima elects a new chairman.
September 18, 2008 – Tzipi Livni becomes the leader of the Kadima Party.
September 21, 2008 – Resigns shortly after police recommend charges in corruption probes.
August 30, 2009 – Is indicted on charges including fraud and breach of trust in dual scandals called the Talansky affair and the Rishon Tours affair. The trial begins in September 2009.
January 5, 2012 – While on trial for fraud and breach of trust, Olmert is indicted for bribery in a separate case. The charge is related to three real estate projects, including a controversial housing development in Jerusalem called Holyland. The scandal becomes known as the Holyland affair.
July 10, 2012 – Olmert’s trial ends after almost three years. He is found guilty of breach of trust and acquitted on two corruption charges. He receives a one year suspended jail sentence and is ordered to pay a fine of 75,000 shekels (about $19,000).
March 31, 2014 – Is convicted of bribery charges in a trial related to the Holyland Affair. Olmert is sentenced to six years in prison and fined 1 million shekels ($289,000). His sentence is later reduced to 18 months by the Supreme Court.
August 6, 2014 – The Supreme Court orders a retrial in the Rishon Tours/Talansky case, as new evidence emerges, enabling prosecutors to challenge Olmert’s acquittals on corruption charges in 2012.
March 30, 2015 – Olmert is convicted of fraud and breach of trust in the retrial of the Rishon Tours/Talansky case. His total prison sentence for the Talansky/Rishon Tours case and the Holyland Affair is 27 months.
February 15, 2016 – Olmert arrives at prison.
July 2, 2017 – Olmert is released after serving 16 months, two-thirds of his original 27-month prison term.
September 3, 2020 – “Honorable Men,” a documentary about Olmert, premieres at Tel Aviv’s DocAviv documentary film festival.
May 6, 2021 – Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s family sue Olmert for defamation.
January 10, 2022 – The defamation trial between Olmert and the Netanyahu family begins.
Don't Miss
In the midst of a tumultuous week in the world of F1, CNN spoke with two-time world champion Fernando Alonso ahead of the British Grand Prix. Twice a winner around Silverstone, the Spaniard was in high spirits after an extraordinary front-row qualifying in the Canadian Grand Prix.
Don't Miss
