Death Penalty Sought for Japan's AUM Member

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, July 15, 2003

Death Penalty Sought for Japan's AUM Member

Japanese prosecutors demanded death penalty Monday for a senior AUM Shinrikyo member involved in deadly sarin attacks.

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Japanese prosecutors demanded death penalty Monday for a senior AUM Shinrikyo member involved in deadly sarin attacks.

The demand was raised nearly nine years after Masami Tsuchiya, 38, was indicted.

Tsuchiya was accused of murder, attempted murder and other charges in the deadly sarin gas attacks in a residential area in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture northwest of Tokyo, in 1994, and at aTokyo subway station the following year.

The prosecutors said at the Tokyo District Court that Tsuchiya made sarin and other chemical arms and committed the crimes on theorders of Shoko Asahara, founder of the cult.

Tsuchiya is the last of the 192 AUM-related defendants for whomprosecutors have proposed sentences in trials. His trial has been prolonged because he dismissed his lawyers twice.

In February, he pleaded not guilty after having remained silentsince his trial began in November 1995, apparently changing his policy in order to challenge the prosecutors.

Tsuchiya acknowledged to have produced sarin gas and VX gas in the cult's facilities, but denied making them with Asahara. The AUM founder, whose real name is Chizuo Matsumoto, is also on trialfor AUM crimes, including the two sarin gas attacks. Prosecutors demanded the death penalty for Asahara in April.

The court will likely hand down a ruling by the end of the yearafter the defendant presents final argument Sept. 18.

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