Shoko Asahara
founder of the Japanese new religious group Aum Shinrikyo
Shoko Asahara (麻原 彰晃, Asahara Shōkō, March 2, 1955 ー July 6, 2018), born Chizuo Matsumoto (松本 智津夫, Matsumoto Chizuo), was a Japanese terrorist. He was the founder of the Japanese doomsday cult group Aum Shinrikyo. Asahara was convicted for being the mastermind behind the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack and several other crimes, for which he was sentenced to death in 2004.
Shoko Asahara | |
|---|---|
| Born | Chizuo Matsumoto March 2, 1955 Yatsushiro, Kumamoto, Japan |
| Died | July 6, 2018 (aged 63) Katsushika, Tokyo, Japan |
| Occupation(s) | Religious leader, founder of Aum Shinrikyo |
| Criminal charge(s) | Murder, terrorism |
| Criminal penalty | Death by hanging |
| Criminal status | Executed |
| Spouse | Tomoko Matsumoto (renamed “Akari Matsumoto” after her release from prison) |
| Children | 12–15 |
In June 2012, his execution was postponed due to further arrests of Aum Shinrikyo members.[1] He was executed by hanging on July 6, 2018.[2][3]
References
change- ↑ "Execution of Aum founder likely postponed". asiaone News. The Yomiuri Shimbun/Asia News Network. June 5, 2012. Archived from the original on February 23, 2014.
- ↑ "Aum Shinrikyo: Japan executes cult leader Shoko Asahara". BBC News. July 6, 2018.
- ↑ "Aum Shinrikyo guru Shoko Asahara hanged for mass murder: reports". The Japan Times. July 6, 2018.
Other websites
change- Aleph Archived 2004-09-06 at the Wayback Machine: the organization's official website, with an English section
- A Japan Times article Archived 2005-11-28 at the Wayback Machine about two documentary films on Aleph.
- [1] BBC link & photos
- IMDB: Documentary films A (1998) and A2 (2001) by Tatsuya Mori
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