Japanese Cult Nerve Agent Maker Loses Appeal

A member of the Aum Shinrikyo cult today lost his appeal of a death sentence handed down for his part in the deadly 1995 sarin nerve agent attack in Tokyo, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, Sept. 18, 2006).

The Tokyo High Court upheld the 2003 conviction of medical doctor Tomomasa Nakagawa.  The nerve agent Nakagawa helped to produce killed 12 in the subway system and claimed seven victims in an earlier attack, a court spokeswoman said.

Nakagawa was also convicted of involvement in other murders carried out by the cult, AP reported.

More than 12 cult members, including leader Shoko Asahara, have been sentenced to death.  To date, none have been executed (Kozo Mizoguchi, Associated Press/International Herald Tribune , July 13).

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