Related
Translate
Get RNB via RSS
|
|
RNB's RSS feed What is this? |
Get RNB via Email
![]() |
![]() Subscribe by Email What is this? |
Follow: Twitter
Most Popular
This Week:
- Polygamist Sect Leader Convicted of Sexual Assault
- Jury takes 14 minutes to convict self-proclaimed pot pastor
- Supreme Court upholds cult AUM Shinrikyo members’ death sentences
- Newspaper continues series of exposés of Scientology cult
- Epic Mohammad movie in pipeline
- Coptic Christian Blogger in Egypt Pressured to Convert to Islam in Prison
- Italian judge convicts 23 in CIA kidnapping of Muslim cleric
- Cult leader Warren Jeffs’ attorneys argue sect leader faced wrong charge
- Texas judge limits some records in FLDS trial over polygamy references
- Photos show birthing center at sect’s Texas ranch
Japan’s nerve-gas cult guru nears gallows
The Tokyo High Court on Tuesday rejected a second appeal against the death sentence of a doomsday cult guru convicted over the deadly 1995 nerve-gas attack on the Tokyo subway.
The decision brought Aum Supreme Truth founder Shoko Asahara closer to the gallows, more than 10 years after his sect stunned the nation with crimes based on his apocalyptic visions.
His lawyers still have five days to bring the case to the Supreme Court which, however, examines appeals only on constitutional violations.
His death sentence would become final if the nation’s highest court rejects the further appeal.
The Tokyo High Court had on March 27 rejected the lawyers’ appeal against Asahara’s death sentence. On Tuesday, it rejected an objection the lawyers filed against the decision, a court spokesperson said.
“A separate bench upheld the court’s rejection of the earlier appeal as appropriate,” she said.
The Tokyo District Court sentenced Asahara (51) to death in February 2004 for the subway attack, the murder of an anti-Aum lawyer and his family, and other crimes that claimed a total of 27 lives.
Asahara’s lawyers missed an August 2005 deadline to submit their arguments against the sentence. They explained in March that they could not talk to the guru as he only mumbled nonsense.
But the Tokyo High Court at that time rejected the defence’s belated document, presenting a doctor’s analysis that Asahara was faking mental illness.
Japan has been sentencing more inmates to death but carrying out fewer executions. Only one person was hanged last year and none so far this year.
Asahara, a nearly blind former acupuncturist whose real name is Chizuo Matsumoto, preached a mix of Hindu and Buddhist beliefs and predicted an apocalyptic war with the establishment.
He allegedly ordered his supporters to release Nazi-invented sarin gas on crowded trains at rush hour on March 20 1995 to pre-empt police raids on the cult. Twelve people died and thousands were injured.
He was arrested at his commune near Mount Fuji two months later.
What You Can Do From Here
|
Read More Articles On These Topics
Share, Blog About, Bookmark, or Email This Article
Subscribe
Read Another Article
Find Related Information
Find Related Books
|
Share This Article
To share this page simply copy and paste one of these URL's:





