TOKYO, 27 FEB - Il Guru, il cui vero nome e' Chizuo Matsumoto e compira' 49 anni la settimana prossima, e' stato riconosciuto colpevole di tutti e 13 i capi di imputazione, tra cui strage, omicidi e tentati omicidi, che hannno provocato 27 morti e migliaia di intossicati. Nel solo attacco alla metropolitana di Tokyo rimasero uccise 12 persone e ferite 5.500.

Il Guru, che indossava una felpa grigio scura, e' rimasto impassibile, le braccia conserte, per tutta la durata della seduta, circa 5 ore e mezzo (compresa una pausa di un'ora per il pranzo), farfugliando di quando in quando spezzoni di frasi incomprensibili.

''Si alzi e venga avanti, sto per leggerle la sentenza'', gli ha comunicato il giudice. Ma il santone e' rimasto immobile e le guardie hanno dovuto sollevarlo di peso per trascinarlo davanti al rappresentante della legge. Gli avvocati della difesa hanno annunciato subito che presenteranno ricorso. Per loro, gli attentati con il gas nervino sono stati architettati e compiuti dai sottoposti, a insaputa del Guru.

Altri 11 adepti della setta, che nel momento di maggior espansione arrivo' a contare 15.400 militanti in Giappone, sono gia' stati condannati alla pena capitale. Nessuna e' ancora stata eseguita.

La sentenza e' stata letta nell'aula piu' grande del tribunale distrettuale di Tokyo con 40 posti per il pubblico, tra imponenti misure di sicurezza, e seguita con servizi speciali da tutte le reti tv pubbliche e private.

Per i 40 posti riservati al pubblico nell'aula del tribunale e assegnati poi per sorteggio, si erano presentate molte ore prima oltre 5.000 persone. 

27-FEB-04 

ROMA, 27 FEB - La condanna a morte di Shoko Asahara, fondatore e capo della setta giapponese 'Aum Shinrikyo', responsabile della strage con il gas nervino alla metropolitana di Tokyo il 20 marzo 1995, finira' probabilmente per riaccendere il dibattito e le polemiche sulla pena di morte nel Sol Levante.

Per quanto riguarda il 'luogo fisico' in cui la pena di morte viene eseguita, nelle carceri giapponesi la stanza per le esecuzioni e' uno spazio di circa 15 metri quadrati che si presenta spoglio e con il pavimento ricoperto da un tappeto viola. Da un gancio sul soffitto pende la corda per l'impiccagione, sul pavimento c'e' un quadrato con il lato di poco superiore al metro, che si spalanca con un congegno automatico in un baratro profondo quattro metri. A lato una stanzetta con una statua di Amida Buddha. Le modalita' di esecuzione sono state per molti anni un argomento rimosso nel paese e oggetto di accese critiche all'estero, specialmente al Consiglio d'Europa e tra gli organismi internazionali di difesa dei diritti umani.

I detenuti nel braccio della morte sono infatti vittime, secondo le accuse, di crudelta' e torture psicologiche: vengono avvertiti dell'esecuzione solo qualche ora prima, dopo lunghi anni di attesa, mentre ne sono tenuti all'oscuro familiari, avvocati e giornali. I familiari vengono informati solo qualche giorno dopo l'esecuzione e i quotidiani vi dedicano solo poche righe nelle pagine interne.

Nel giugno dello scorso anno 122 deputati e senatori appartenenti agli opposti schieramenti hanno presentato un progetto di legge per una moratoria di quattro anni sulle esecuzioni, primo passo, nelle loro intenzioni, verso l' abolizione della pena di morte. Il gruppo e' guidato da un ex alto dirigente del partito di governo liberaldemocratico, Shizuka Kamei, e da Nobuto Hosaka, deputato del partito di opposizione socialdemocratico. Il testo chiede inoltre la costituzione di una commissione di inchiesta parlamentare, della durata di tre anni, sulla pena capitale e le modalita' di esecuzione, e l'inasprimento della detenzione a tempo indeterminato, pena che equivarrebbe all'ergastolo ma che attualmente ammette la scarcerazione per buona condotta dopo 10 anni.

Il primo ministro Junichiro Koizumi e' fermamente contrario all'abolizione della pena di morte e cita il sostegno dell'opinione pubblica al suo mantenimento, circa l'80%, e il no della maggioranza dei parlamentari. Osaka ribatte che il no alla pena capitale sale al 40% fra i cittadini in base a sondaggi piu' articolati e critica i rilevamenti del governo che, sostiene, chiedono soltanto se si e' contrari o no all'impiccagione di responsabili di barbari delitti.

APPELLO A TOKYO E WASHINGTON, ROMPERE IL CICLO DELLA VIOLENZA

STRASBURGO, 27 FEB- Un ''appello pressante'' all'abolizione della pena di morte in Giappone e' stato rivolto dal presidente dell'assemblea parlamentare del Consiglio d'Europa Peter Schieder. L'iniziativa e' stata presa dopo la condanna alla pena capitale pronunciata oggi contro Shoko Asahara, capo della setta riconosciuta responsabile dell'attacco con gas nervino nella metropolitana di Tokyo nel '95.

''La difesa della vita di Shoko Asahara non e' una causa facile, ne' popolare'', ha detto Schieder, ma ''il Consiglio d'Europa si oppone alla pena di morte in tutte le sue forme, anche per l'assassino del metro' di Tokyo. I diritti dell'uomo valgono per ciascuno tra noi, senza eccezione''.

Il presidente dell'assemblea parlamentare di Strasburgo ha quindi rilevato che ''in Europa abbiamo ugualmente la nostra lotta contro il terrorismo, l'uccisione di bambini e di poliziotti, ma ci siamo posti quale obbiettivo quello di rendere la nostra societa' migliore, piu' giusta, meno brutale e di rompere il ciclo della violenza''.

Schieder ha ricordato che l'abolizione della pena di morte e' una delle priorita' della nostra organizzazione e tutti i nuovi Stati membri devono impegnarsi ad adottare questa misura.

Siamo riusciti a fare del territorio dei nostri 45 Stati, con i loro 800 milioni di abitanti, uno spazio esente dalla pena capitale. Il nostro obbiettivo e' quello di convincere il Giappone e gli Stati Uniti, che possiedono entrambi lo statuto di osservatori, a unirsi a noi''.

Alla vigilia del primo marzo, giornata internazionale per l'abolizione della pena di morte, ha concluso Schieder, ''il mio e' un appello lanciato agli Stati del mondo intero perche' rinuncino alla pena capitale. Infliggere la morte non e' rendere giustizia''. 

Death penalty for Japan cult guru

Shoko Asahara, the leader of a Japanese doomsday cult which gassed the Tokyo subway in 1995, has been sentenced to death for ordering the attack.

The sarin gas attack, which killed 12 people and injured thousands more, shocked Japan and shed light on the fanatical Aum Shinrikyo group.

Eleven other Aum members have received death sentences, though none have been executed pending appeals.

Asahara's lawyers said he would appeal too, a process which could take years.

Asahara, whose real name is Chizuo Matsumoto, stood passively and said nothing as he was found guilty of all 13 charges of murder and attempted murder.

Thousands of people arrived to try to get a courtside seat; spectators were reportedly chosen by lottery.

The judges in the Tokyo District Court rejected defence arguments that Asahara had lost control of his followers by the time of the 1995 attack.

His crimes included ordering another sarin gas attack in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, in 1994, which killed seven people, and the killing of several wayward cult members or their relatives.

But it was the Tokyo subway attack at the height of the city's rush hour, which most shocked Japan. Survivors still suffer from headaches, breathing troubles and dizziness.

"I can't think of any other sentence but death for Asahara," said Yasutomo Kusakai, a 22-year-old college student outside the court.

"Many people were killed, and he's supposed to be the mastermind of the crimes that affected the society in a big way."

The verdict is the culmination of a nearly eight-year trial, during which Asahara has remained largely silent.

It is still not clear exactly why Asahara ordered the Tokyo attack. The group mixed Buddhist, Hindu and Christian tenets and believed some kind of Armageddon was imminent.

The group had also begun to feel threatened by the police at the time of the subway strike and some analysts believe it was in part designed to delay and confuse the authorities.

Aum is still operating, albeit under the new name of Aleph and with a supposedly benign new remit. However, the Japanese police still monitor it closely and believe it is still dangerous.

Bloomberg News

FEBRUARY 27, 2004:

JAPAN: Asahara Faces Possible Death Sentence for 1995 Tokyo Gas Attack

Shoko Asahara, the founder of the Aum Shinrikyo cult, faces a possible death sentence when his trial ends today on charges of organizing terrorist acts, including the 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway that killed 12 people.

The ruling by the Tokyo district court will complete an eight- year trial. The 48-year old Asahara led a group alleged to have killed 27 people in terrorist incidents, seven of them in the 1994 gassing in Matsumoto, northwest of Tokyo.

Aum Shinrikyo's activities prompted the authorities in Japan to strengthen state powers, including adopting a law allowing police to wiretap phones in criminal investigations. The government's response to the cult spurred a debate on national security that has some lawmakers calling for a review of Japan's constitution which renounces involvement in conflicts.

"More people want to be under state protection than ever before," said sociologist Keiko Higuchi, a professor emeritus at Tokyo Kasei University. "We have compromised our privacy and civil liberties in the process."

Aum Shinrikyo released sarin gas at several points on the Tokyo subway system during the morning rush hour on March 20, 1995. More than 3,000 people needed treatment after the incident. The deaths in Matsumoto were also a result of the release of sarin, a colorless, odorless gas described as being more deadly than cyanide gas.

Calling Asahara the most atrocious criminal in Japan's history, the authorities began a campaign for stronger law enforcement powers after his arrest.

Religious Groups

A 1996 legal amendment gave the authorities increased oversight of religious groups. Additional laws were passed in 1999 to regulate activities of Aum Shinrikyo.

The law allowing police to eavesdrop telephone calls and access email messages was introduced in 2000. In 2002, Japan adopted a computerized ID system giving citizens 11-digit numbers linked to a database containing their personal information.

The debate on national security was ratcheted up this year after Japan dispatched its troops to Iraq to help the country rebuild after the war that overthrew Saddam Hussein. The deployment, the biggest since the end of World War II, has fueled concerns that Japan may become a target of terrorists.

Although some politicians have long called for the revision of the constitution, the threat of international terrorism has given added momentum to the discussion.

Analysts, including Higuchi, compare the Aum gas attack to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the U.S., where stepped up security measures after the incident stirred a similar debate on state powers verses civil liberties.

Death Penalty

Asahara, whose real name is Chizuo Matsumoto, may become the 12th Aum defendant to be given the death penalty by the district court. The 11 others have all appealed their rulings.

A total of 189 people, including Asahara, have been indicted so far. The cult, which was established in 1987, has more than 1,650 followers in Japan and 300 in Russia, according to a government report released last year.

Asahara, who is partially blind, studied acupuncture and traditional Chinese herbal medicine before he began to preach a type of esoteric Buddhism mixed with his own apocalyptic theology. Perhaps the most controversial part of his doctrine is an idea that murder may be justified under some circumstances and that it spiritually elevates both killers and the victims.

The group's attacks "destroyed this myth among Japanese people that we all live in harmony, at peace with one another in this community," said Tatsuo Inamasu, a professor of social psychology at Hosei University in Tokyo.

New Name

Aum Shinrikyo renamed itself Aleph in February 2000 in an effort to create a new image under the leadership of Fumihiro Joyu, Aum's former spokesman, who completed a 3-year prison sentence in 1999.

The Aleph Web site condemns the gas attack, saying the group deeply apologizes to the victims and their bereaved families.

"Considering what we have done in the past, I believe we have to reform the organization drastically," Joyu says in a statement on the Web site.

The site also features advice columns in which the cult's elders encourage visitors to send in questions about a variety of topics. The recent columns discuss love, premature baldness and how to successfully take college entrance exams.

Even with the effort to distance itself from Asahara, the organization is still under government surveillance. The authorities earlier this month raided 11 of the organization's offices nationwide in the run up to today's sentencing.

The probe has yielded videotapes and books of Asahara's teachings, evidence that the group hasn't completely parted ways with the guru, local news reports said.

Japan Cult Guru Faces Death Penalty for Sarin Attack

TOKYO (Reuters) - A former Japanese cult guru accused of ordering a 1995 gas attack on Tokyo's subway that killed 12, sickened thousands and shattered Japan's myth of public safety was expected to be sentenced to death Friday after an eight-year trial.

Prosecutors have demanded that Shoko Asahara, 48, the former leader of the Aum Shinri Kyo (Supreme Truth Sect), be hanged for masterminding the lethal subway attack and other crimes that killed another 15 people.

 The sight of bodies lying across platforms and soldiers in gas masks sealing off Tokyo subway stations stunned the Japanese public, long accustomed to crime-free streets, and raised concern worldwide about the ease of making weapons of mass destruction. 

Japan's fears of terror attacks have mounted since the September 2001 attacks in the United States and the controversial dispatch this month of Japanese troops to help rebuild Iraq 

About 5,500 people were injured in the 1995 attack in Tokyo, some permanently, when members of the doomsday cult unleashed sarin nerve gas in rush-hour trains. 

Asahara, handcuffed and clad in a black sweatsuit, his once-flowing black locks and beard cut short and flecked with grey, muttered and smiled as he was led into the court room. 

Asahara, whose real name is Chizuo Matsumoto, has pleaded not guilty but has never testified and has only made confusing remarks in the courtroom, including babbling English words. In a statement he began reading at 10 a.m. (8 p.m. EST Thursday) presiding Judge Shoji Ogawa said Asahara had ordered the 1989 murder of anti-Aum lawyer Tsutsumi Sakamoto and his wife and child and conspired in a 1994 sarin attack in central Japan that killed seven people. 

The court resumed session after a lunch break and final verdicts were expected later in the day. 

Rows of media photographers lined up outside the Tokyo District Court and court officials said 4,658 people showed up to register for one of the 38 seats allocated to the public. 

Tokyo police mobilized 400 officers at spots including the court house and the detention center where Asahara had been held and even organized a fake motorcade to divert media attention when the defendant was transported to the court. 

ARMAGEDDON 

Survivors said even a death sentence for Asahara would not bring them relief, especially since the reason behind the crimes remained a mystery.

 "This issue will absolutely never end. I don't think of this as providing closure at all," said Hiroyuki Nagaoka, who was targeted in a separate gas attack by Aum members in January 1995 when he was head of an anti-cult group.

 Asahara set up the cult in 1987, mixing Buddhist and Hindu meditation with apocalyptic teachings to attract, at its peak, at least 10,000 members in Japan and overseas, among them graduates of some of the nation's elite universities.

 The pudgy, nearly blind guru predicted that the United States would attack Japan and turn it into a nuclear wasteland.

 He also claimed to have traveled forward in time to 2006 and talked to people then about what World War Three had been like.

 Asahara and other cult members ran for parliament in 1990 but won only a smattering of votes.

Analysts have speculated that Asahara, who came from a poor family and graduated from a high school for the blind, grew angry at society after that and led the cult down a murderous path.

After the elections, Aum set up a huge commune-like complex at the foot of Mount Fuji, where members not only studied his mystical teachings and practiced bizarre rituals but made weapons including the sarin gas used in the subway attack.

Some speculate that the attack may have been staged to prove to Aum members the cult's apocalyptic preachings, while others say the gassing was aimed at thwarting a police raid on the cult, which was already suspected of involvement in other murders.

The attack prompted the police and military to beef up their capability to deal with chemical and biological attacks.

Aum, which in 1999 admitted involvement in the subway gassing, changed its name in 2000 to Aleph, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Its leaders say it poses no threat now but the Japanese authorities disagree and keep its membership of about 1,600 under surveillance.

(Additional reporting by Masayuki Kitano)

  By George Nishiyama