Japanese prosecutors yesterday have asked for the death penalty for Tomomasa Nakagawa, an Aum Shinrikyo cult scientist who allegedly participated in a series of deadly nerve gas attacks in Japan, the Japan Times reported today  (see GSN, Jan. 24).

Nakagawa and Aum founder Chizuo Matsumoto have been linked to 24 murders including the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack, which killed 12 and injured thousands. Nakagawa is accused of developing the deadly gas in addition to charges of murder and attempted murder (Japan Times, Jan. 30).

Nakagawa, 40, has pleaded not guilty to the sarin charges saying he did not know what the cult intended to do with the nerve agent, according to the Daily Yomiuri (Daily Yomiuri, Jan. 30).

However, the Japan Times reported that there is more incriminating evidence surrounding Nakagawa’s involvement in a 1994 sarin attack against a Nagano Prefecture which killed seven and wounded 144 (Japan Times).

Nakagawa allegedly developed the Nagano sarin with former senior cult member Seiichi Endo, who was sentenced to death last year for his role in the attack, according to the Daily Yomiuri (see GSN, Oct. 11, 2002; Daily Yomiuri). 

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