Japanese cult member sentenced to death

A former senior member of Japan's Aum Shinri Kyo doomsday cult was sentenced to hang today for his involvement in murders including…

A former senior member of Japan's Aum Shinri Kyo doomsday cult was sentenced to hang today for his involvement in murders including the 1995 gas attack on Tokyo's subway system.

The attack killed 12 people and left thousands ill.

The Tokyo District Court handed down the death penalty against Tomomasa Nakagawa (41), who was accused of helping to make the sarin nerve gas used in the cult's March 1995 subway attack.

Nakagawa, a former doctor, was indicted for conspiring with other Aum members including cult guru Shoko Asahara and killing 24 people in five cases between 1989 and 1995. He faced 11 charges.

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Nakagawa is the tenth 10th Aum member to get the death penalty.

The defence had argued that Nakagawa did not know the gas would be used in the attack and had no criminal intent, and was only following orders.

But Nakagawa had pleaded guilty to the 1989 murder of lawyer Tsutsumi Sakamoto, who was helping handle complaints against Aum, and his family.

Nakagawa was also accused of involvement in a 1994 gassing in the central Japanese city of Matsumoto that killed seven, and also of several attempted murders using cyanide fumes, VX gas, sarin and a letter bomb.

The doomsday cult, which was set up in 1987, at onepoint attracted a 15,000-member following in Japan. In the past,it preached that the world was coming to an end and that thecult must arm itself to prepare for calamities.