Skip to main content.
Religion News Blog is a non-profit service providing academics, religion professionals and other researchers with religion & cult news
ReligionNewsBlog

Religion news articles about religious cults, sects, world religions, and related issues

Navigation:
A Random Image
Aum Shinrikyo:

AUM Surveillance to Be Extended for Another 3 Years

Kyodo News Service, Japan
Jan. 18, 2006
home.kyodo.co.jp

ReligionNewsBlog.com • Item 13289 • Posted: Wednesday January 18, 2006  

  • Google Bookmarks
  • Google Reader
  • Gmail
  • Yahoo Mail
  • Twitter
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Digg
  • Delicious
  • Blogger Post
  • Evernote
  • Facebook
  • Share/Bookmark
Click here... More articles on this topic: Aum Shinrikyo

TOKYO, Jan. 19–(Kyodo)– The Public Security Examination Commission has decided to extend the surveillance period on the religious cult formerly known as AUM Shinrikyo, commission sources said Wednesday.

The Public Security Investigation Agency ask last November for another three-year extension after the current period expires at the end of this month, claiming Shoko Asahara, the cult’s founder who has been sentenced to death over the 1995 sarin attack on the Tokyo subway and other crimes, still wields influence over the group.

The agency, a unit of the Justice Ministry, has also demanded that the cult, which has renamed itself Aleph, report to the agency about its profit-making businesses, saying it is gaining “a large amount of profits from illegal profit-making businesses.”

Some commission members, however, have questioned these additional actions over the group.

The commission has basically agreed to accept the agency’s request to extend the surveillance period, but will further discuss whether it will order the group to report on its businesses, the officials said.

The formal decision will be made Monday and will be published in the government gazette by Jan. 31, when the current surveillance period expires.

The law for restricting the activities of certain groups, which went into effect in December 1999, allows authorities to keep watch on groups that pose a threat to the public. It stipulates that the surveillance period for such a group may be extended if someone who has engineered indiscriminate mass killings continues to have influence over the group.

It also requires the group to report the names of the senior and regular members as well as their addresses.

The agency said in the request that Asahara, 50, is still considered AUM’s leader and its members still believe in him. It also said the group still has “a doctrine to recommend killing people as a code of conduct.”

Fumihiro Joyu, a former senior AUM member who now heads the cult, and a cult lawyer expressed dissatisfaction with the possible extension of the surveillance during a hearing by the commission on Jan. 10, saying, “Reform (in the group) has been proceeding.”

They also said it is “unjust” to have the group make additional reports on its businesses.

The surveillance was initially imposed on AUM in January 2000 and extended in January 2003.

Asahara, whose real name is Chizuo Matsumoto, was sentenced to death by the Tokyo District Court for his role in 13 criminal cases including the fatal sarin attack. His defense counsel has appealed to the Tokyo High Court.

  • Google Bookmarks
  • Google Reader
  • Gmail
  • Yahoo Mail
  • Twitter
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Digg
  • Delicious
  • Blogger Post
  • Evernote
  • Facebook
  • Share/Bookmark


What You Can Do From Here

Read More Articles On These Topics
more cult news articlemore religion news Categories: Aum Shinrikyo
more religion news aboutmore Religion News Blog articles about
Share, Blog About, Bookmark, or Email This Article
Subscribe
Follow Religion News Blog on Twitter


Read Another Article
Find Related Information
cult research search enginecountercult information Use our custom search engines to find additional research resources on religions and cults
Find Related Books


Most Popular Today


Share This Article

To share this page simply copy and paste one of these URL's:





Counter Cult Search

Search for information about (religious) cults, cult-like organizations, -- as well as paranormal-, New Age, and pseudoscientific claims -- across 260+ websites, blogs and forums dedicated to cult research, spiritual abuse, ex-cult counseling & support.


Note: results are listed on another domain -- CounterCultSearch.com -- from which you can easily return here.


Apologetics Search

Search for apologetics articles, books, videos, and other research resources across 135 Christian apologetics websites and blogs.


Note: results are listed on another domain -- ApologeticsSearch.com -- from which you can easily return here.

About Religion News Blog
Religion News Blog (RNB), published by Apologetics Index, highlights news items and other resources on world religions, cults, religious sects, alternative religions and related issues. RNB's non-profit news clipping service is used by - among others - Christian apologists, countercult professionals, anticult organizations, cult experts, teachers, religion professionals, reporters and other researchers.

Home
Latest Headlines
RSS news feed [?]
Headlines by Email
News Trackers
Free content for your site
About RNB
Privacy Policy
Contact RNB
Link to RNB
Advertise on RNB
Apologetics Index
Cult FAQ
Apologetics Search Engine
CounterCult Search Engine