The Tokyo High Court on Friday upheld the death penalty for senior Aum Shinrikyo member Yasuo Hayashi for his roles in two fatal sarin attacks and an attempt to spread cyanide gas at JR Shinjuku Station.
Hayashi, 45, has been convicted of crimes that include murder and attempted murder in the March 1995 attack on the Tokyo subway system, the June 1994 sarin gas attack in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, and the May 1995 cyanide gas attempt at Shinjuku.
"Even if we were to take all circumstances into account, considering the gravity and cruelty of his deeds and the effect they had on society, the death sentence is the only choice," presiding Judge Koshi Murakami said.
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