Hatamoto Satoru
Death sentence to stand for ex-Aum cultist
Saturday, October 27, 2007
TOKYO — The Supreme Court rejected an appeal Friday by a former senior Aum Shinrikyo cult member sentenced to death for his involvement in two separate murder cases and in building a plant to mass-produce nerve gas, a move that finalizes his penalty.
The ruling, which upheld the September 2003 decision by the Tokyo High Court, on Satoru Hatamoto, 40, marks the first time a death sentence has been finalized for someone involved in carrying out the 1994 sarin gas attack in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture. Defense lawyers have argued against the death sentence, saying Hatamoto's mind was under the control of Aum founder Shoko Asahara, whose real name is Chizuo.
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