High court upholds death, life sentences for 3 ex-AUM members

Kyodo News/July 28, 2004

Tokyo -- The Tokyo High Court upheld Wednesday lower court rulings sentencing two former members of the AUM Shinrikyo cult to death and another to life in prison for their involvement in the deadly 1995 sarin nerve-gas attack on the Tokyo subway system that killed 12 people and injured thousands.

In July 2000, the Tokyo District Court handed down death sentences to Toru Toyoda, 36, and Kenichi Hirose, 40, after they were found guilty on charges including murder. Shigeo Sugimoto, 45, who served as a driver during the attack, was given a life imprisonment sentence.