Japanese Officials Raid Aum Cult Sites

Japanese authorities raided a number of Aum Shinrikyo facilities Saturday following a Supreme Court decision upholding the cult founder’s death sentence on Friday, the Asahi Shimbun reported (see GSN, Sept 15).

Shoko Asahara, 51, whose real name is Chizuo Matsumoto, has been convicted of planning a 1995 sarin nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway system.

Following last week’s rejection of his final appeal, Japanese officials led the raids amid concerns that cult members would react violently to the court’s decision.

The Japanese intelligence agency dispatched 250 officers to search 25 Aum sites in Tokyo and sprawled across 16 prefectures.

Japan, which executes condemned by hanging, does not announce date of executions before they are carried out (Asahi Shimbun, Sept. 18).

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