Lawyers representing Aum Shinrikyo founder Shoko Asahara argued Thursday that their client is innocent of masterminding a series of grisly crimes, including two fatal sarin gas attacks.
The lawyers instead blamed Asahara's followers in the doomsday cult.
On the first of two days of closing arguments at the Tokyo District Court, Asahara's state-appointed defense counsel criticized prosecutors for rejecting Asahara's status as a true religious leader and ignoring the possibility that his followers were to blame.