Japanese Cult Member Loses Death Sentence Appeal

A member of the Aum Shinrikyo cult lost his appeal of the death sentence he received for participating in the lethal 1995 sarin nerve agent attack on the Tokyo subway system, the Associated Press reported today (see GSN, July 13).

Japan’s highest court refused to overturn the sentence of Masato Yokoyama, said a judicial spokesman.  Yokoyama, 43, is set to be executed for his part in the gas attack that killed 12 people and caused thousands to become sick.

None of the more than 12 death sentences issued to Aum members have been carried out to date (Associated Press/PR-inside, July 20).

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